


A Game of Trappola

by Beepboopferal, emilraph



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Ace fucks up, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Complicated Relationships, Dumbasses, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, No beta we die like Ace's sanity, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance not central, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Time Loop, Unnamed Anippola, Yearning, lots and lots of yearning, strangers to friends to lovers and strangers again, the angst is sixty percent, the other ten percent is the quartet being crackheads., we say its fluff and angst but the fluff is only thirty percent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27159220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beepboopferal/pseuds/Beepboopferal, https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilraph/pseuds/emilraph
Summary: Ace has a few things he's planned for after graduating, looking for a job, maybe a partner, live out the rest of his life his own way.but fate does not let him play according to plans.On one fateful, bloody day, time was reset to the beginning of the school year, and the only one who remembers is Ace.He pulls out his deck of cards.He knows he's playing with the devil.He smirks.After all, to win the hundred game, one must have an ace in their hand.
Relationships: Deuce Spade/Ace Trappola
Comments: 34
Kudos: 77





	1. Disastrous Beginnings

_Everywhere he looked, only barren land greeted him._

_Jagged rocks dug at his knees, piercing through the thin cloth of his uniform and opening a new set of scars on his already beaten kneecaps. Around him scattered his friends, comrades, confidants. Ace knelt on the ground, as he raised his head to peek at the dragon._

_He peered from his shoulders._

_A tuft of white hair and fur lay on the crook of a small shoulder, shaking and trembling with each sob and growl that comes out. Slightly trembling, another pair of hands laid atop the shoulder, hoping to give at least the bare amount of comfort._

_A pair of hands clawed at an eternally freezing face, his lips moving but no sound could even be heard at all, tears flowing down as rapid as a stream whilst two magical pens were conjoined together, accompanied by a glare that could split through a boulder._

_Two bodies clinging against each other, hands clasping tight as their other hands finally fall with a plop to the side, numb after numerous spell casting. Slumping against the dirt, both boys lean their heads on each other, closing their eyes._

_Keeping on a smug face, a body bumped into two others, scraping at the ends of their magical reserve as small minions swarmed closer to where they stood._

_Two pairs of hands flew across a flurry of keys, desperately attempting to salvage whatever they could, although knowing well there was nothing to salvage._

_Arms wrap around a mangled body, thorns sticking out from all sides, limp after several whole rounds of being a meat shield for the two men holding him up. Silver swords trembled as the grip on them faltered and a clang sounded in the ruined landscape._

_Trembling hands shook a limp body, lips quivering as small, almost unheard pleads fell on the ears of a departing soul. Glasses laid cracked beside a pair of dirtied white shoes, digging nails into his palm, biting back tears, and laying a hand on the quivering shoulder._

_Glittering blue eyes turned to him. A distant smile, a strained voice, calling out to him._

_"We would've been good friends."_

* * *

“No!!” 

It was dark, too dark.

Despite having already opened his eyes, all that Ace could see was darkness. His chest rose and dipped a little too quickly as air struggled to get inside his lungs. The world seemed to somewhat tilt on its axis with every passing moment. 

“Wh-where? I-” His hands reached out to the darkness, but he only managed to reach above his head before encountering a plush velvet lining. “I-it worked??”

Slowly, he could feel air returning to his lungs as the fog on his brain also started to clear out. He turned his head, eyes starting to get used to the darkness. Sweat had begun to pool around his own body and even as he flapped the front of his outfit, it did nothing to cool or calm him down. 

“Hey! Is anyone out there?? Let me outta here!!” Fingers curled in on itself as Ace banged and kicked on the wooden lid. 

Silence follows. 

Inside the coffin, breaths quickened, hands curling into the silken material of his outfit. Ace wouldn’t call himself a claustrophobic person, but at this moment it feels as if the walls are truly closing in on him, trapping him to his doom. 

In the midst of all this, his brain goes into overdrive. His body moves on autopilot as his subconscious starts to take over. 

_Muffled sobs and hunched bodies atop a tuft of dirtied white fur._

Ace kicked on the door. No response.

_Desperate hands clawing at a perfected face._

A grip on his robe. It’s definitely crinkling now. Still no response.

_Two hands conjoined as they face their fates._

A shout. Does nobody hear him from inside the coffin?? Someone, please!!

_Commands after commands doing no significant damage to the wall of enemies._

Please…. Someone!

_Two figures hugging each other for dear life._

He can’t breathe. His hands feel clammy against his skin. It’s hot yet it’s cold. What is happening?

_Widening eyes and frantic arms grabbing at a lifeless body._

His head hurts. His whole body aches. Where even is he?

_Hoarse voices clawing its way out, chasing after a leaving soul._

His eyes close. Or is it open? He doesn’t know anymore someone please help!

_Blue eyes shining despite the chaos, reaching out to Ace-_

A slap.

_Just what are you thinking, panicking at a time like this get a grip on yourself, Ace! This ain’t the time!!!_ Ace gripped at his chest, his hand pinching at his forearm, forcing himself to breathe normally again. Slowly, his heavings ceased, his headaches receding, his tears stopping. The silken sleeves proved to be great at wiping them away, and slowly he regained his self-composure.

His feet kicked against the wooden lid of the coffin.

“Hey, uhh hello??” Ace gave another kick. “I’m awake!!! Get me outta here, it’s really hard to breathe in here!”

Time trickled by and the longer Ace’s trapped in the coffin, the louder the bangs on his coffin got. He took a deep breath…

And yelled.

“OIIIIIIIIII!!!!! IS ANYONE OUT THERE!!!!!! HELP A MAN OUT WILL YA!!!!!!”

A click sounded, and the tight lid of the coffin cracked open, letting a cool gust of wind inside the – by now – extremely sweaty and stuffy coffin. Ace let out a sigh of relief, letting himself lean on the door of the coffin.

But then gravity had to play its part in the world, and as the door opened, Ace’s body leaned a bit too forward. Stumbling on his feet, Ace crashed down to the ground, right in front of a certain red-headed boy. He sighed, rubbing at his chin and pushing himself up to stand upright next to the one and the only Riddle Rosehearts.

“Jeez, took you long enough…” Ace slowly took in his breaths, his hands slowly loosening around his robes as he fixed the hood of his own outfit. Looking over at Riddle, Ace held in the urge to run up and simply sob into his (technically soon to be in this 'timeline') dorm leader’s shoulders. A jolt of pain shot through Ace’s head as his brain ran wild.

_Riddle’s blood-drenched face, wide-eyed, staring at Cater, Trey, Ace and-_

Ace gulped, pushing those images down his brain.

If Riddle had heard his previous comment, he paid no attention to it or refused to listen.

“That’s odd, students usually wake up _after_ the door is unlocked, but…” he shook his head. “Doesn’t matter, are you alright?”

Ace dared to look into Riddle’s eyes. For once, those eyes held in them not apprehension and a cold wall of steel, but worry – albeit it still swam in between the usual sternness the boy held in his eyes. Ace almost forgot to answer for a while, brain lagging behind by several minutes behind his body.

“I’m… fine, dorm leader.”

Riddle blinks.

Ace did too.

Silence pursues.

“What?” He scratched at his head. “Did I say something wrong?”

Riddle, whose mouth had been slightly agape, quickly composed himself and shook his head.

“No, it’s nothing.” His heels tapped against the floor as his legs shifted. “I was simply taken aback when you called me dorm leader… I didn’t expect you to actually know that.”

Ace almost physically slapped himself. Of course, he had to slip up and make a mistake like that, didn’t he? He let out a sheepish laugh that hopefully would be enough to convince the dorm leader. He fiddled with the back ends of his hair.

“Lucky guess?"

A blank face was all that Ace could see from Riddle, him already putting his thumb and index fingers to his chin.

“Perhaps," The red-headed boy sighed. Ace couldn’t decide whether to be relieved or be alarmed by that answer and instead held his breath, waiting for his senior’s next answer.

“You’re welcome to stay here and wait for the others….” He gestured towards Ace’s coffin. “But judging by your 'coffin fiasco', I’d say you’d be better off with a little freshening up before joining the ceremony.”

Indeed, what Riddle suggested made sense. Ace had been thrashing around in the stuffy coffin for what felt like days (though in reality, it was probably closer to fifteen minutes.) and frankly, he felt kind of disgusting, pooling up sweats, leftover tears (and probably snot), and condensation from his breath. Yeah, a trip to the bathroom would be nice.

He nodded, and Ace thought for a moment he saw what seemed like a flash of concern directed at him. Ace knew, that reverting time also meant reverting Riddle back to his hardcore days of rule-abiding and harsh punishments, but at this moment and time, he might’ve gotten a glimpse of the Riddle that he didn’t get to know in the past – the dorm leader that will occasionally bark orders and rules at his dorm members but who will also nod in silent pride at the exact same member’s works.

“But don’t you dare be late, or it’s off with your head!”

_"I take back everything I said and thought of,"_ is what Ace would have replied if he wanted to die immediately. 

“Yeah, yeah, gotcha...” he turned his head and shivered, “As if I’m gonna let that happen again.” He grumbled under his breath.

“What was that?” Almost jumping out of his skin, Ace’s voice reached pitches he never knew he could reach before as his hands flailed about.

“I-I said I’m going to the bathroom!!!”

* * *

Slamming the grandiose doors closed, Ace ran off, leaving a mildly confused Riddle in the eerily silent room. 

With a groan and a sigh, Ace navigated the winding hallways until he reached a bathroom at a hidden corner of the school. Experience told him that this part of the school is barely walked by, a dead-end at one of the further wings, therefore he wouldn’t be disturbed in the slightest. 

As soon as he stepped inside the bathroom, he closed the door and inhaled. 

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-” 

He let out a scream. Ace was sure that he would probably get his voice hoarse from all the screaming, and probably he won’t be able to use his voice later at the ceremony, but who cares, exactly? He had somehow narrowly escaped death, rewind time, and is able to start anew. Needless to say, Ace has his priorities sorted. 

“Gleuresgh," indignant gibberish fell from his mouth as he almost plopped on the floor after his small scream session, but remembered where he was. He was _not_ laying on the shit stain that is the boys’ toilet floor. Sighing again, he picked himself up and slammed the stall door shut. 

Opening the tap water was an instant cathartic experience as if the running of the water had immediately cleared the noises arguing about inside his head. A content sigh escaping his mouth, he ran his hands under the water and splashed it onto his face, the cold of the water nicely contrasting the heat of Ace’s cheeks, letting him slump his shoulders as his hands fell to grip on the sink. 

Looking into the mirror, Ace was faced with his own features, smooth, silky, and devoid of any scars. 

There wasn’t anything. 

No grime that he picked up, crawling across the dirt and mud of the battlefield. 

_“Everyone get down!” a gruff voice barked, followed by a painful, painful yelp. Ace desperately wanted to turn around, pick himself up, and call for a retreat, but just as Ace’s head turned the slightest, another voice immediately yelled back at him and several others, “Leave Jack to me! I’ll take care of him, you guys go ahead!!!” The team headed onwards, reluctant to leave yet also believing in the boy’s abilities._

_But with them heading onwards, they also have left the two to their own fates._

_Death._

There weren't any scars or wounds marring his face, no oddities scattering across his features. 

_“Lilia-sama! Human! Get out of the way!” Ace was able to make out distant gasps of horror and screams as he himself was dodging thorns spouted their way. Several missed, but several more grazed his cheeks and body, creating scars along the trails they follow._

_As he turned to his side he could spot two figures slouched against one. He could catch glimpses of thorns peeking out from beside the two figures._

_Ace wanted to run, wanted to reach over to them and cast some sort of healing spell,_

_But a sudden sharp pain brought him to the ground._

_He could hear yelling from behind and around him._

_“This idiot.”_

A splash. 

Water dripped down from his chin as Ace registered what had happened. He rubbed his hands on his face, mind still in shambles. 

After witnessing several of his comrades fall to their knees and bleed out, one would, in a sense, be fucking terrified. Ace, obviously, is no different. While yes, he had only been a passing friend to the four students, he also had been fighting alongside them for the better of a few days, which, as he found out, was enough days to get to know and start to get closer to the four men. 

He wanted to say that now wasn’t the time for what if’s. Not a time to twiddle around his thumbs, sulking in his own thoughts and emotions and to focus on what could be fixed, but it wasn’t wrong for a guy to dream, yeah? Talking to the boys was enjoyable, really enjoyable, and he really felt like it was a short moment when he could let himself loose for a bit around his peers. He wished they had met sooner, and talked a lot more. 

He sighed. 

He got what he wished for, didn’t he? 

He’s signed a deal with the devil, took the prize, and now it’s due time to pay the price. 

“Man,” he shook his head, “What the hell.” 

* * *

Stepping back through the two grandiose doors, Ace was greeted with a myriad of voices clashing and merging with each other. He sighed and scratched his head as he moved towards the front, standing just beside Riddle. 

“Told ya I wouldn’t be late~” he smirked, crossing his arms as Riddle just shot him a blank look. 

“As you should, it’s mandatory to follow the rules. It's nothing to be proud of.” Ace let out a small ‘tch’ as Riddle gestured to where the other first years were standing in. “Go on and wait until it’s your turn to get sorted by the mirror.” 

Under his breath, Ace grumbled as he made his way over to the bunch, reciprocating the greetings of several passing students. 

“Jeez, I forgot he used to be a huge pain in the ass, with all those rules.” He took his spot near the back, a place where he’s able to watch the ceremony unfold with relative peace. The principal came into view as the ceremony started, and Ace settled himself into his own seat. 

It was... bizarre, to say the very least to hear the exact same words uttered by the same exact person in a different situation. Unsettling is an understatement, the feeling crawling up Ace’s spine and sending shivers down his whole body and it wasn’t at all because of the nonexistent cooling devices. Ace looked around as the ceremony droned on, the mirror assigning the same dorms to the same exact student. 

He leaned back in his seat, looking around him before his eyes landed on a set of lavender colored, slightly curly hair. Ace straightened up in his seat, mind racing. It was the same exact scene as before: Epel, sitting prim and proper in his seat while Ace tries to reach him. 

_First day of school, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s even more boring than what his brother describes it as. Ace slumped back in his seat after being sorted into Heartslabyul - the same exact dorm his brother was in, what a surprise. Rows after rows of students giddily ran up to the mirror to find out what their future dorms would be. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the display._

_Frankly, he didn’t mind which dorm he gets sorted into, though, of course being in Heartslabyul also has the added benefit of being able to live exactly as his brother did, skipping out on classes, sleeping in hidden places around the school, and basically living the best days of his life in the school. All that he wanted was a peaceful life, graduate school with at least passing grades, and go off doing whatever jobs were available. This ceremony had little importance in the matter, a tiny grain in a sea of sand that is his life. A yawn escaped his mouth._

_After playing a game of “guess what this guy’s dorm would be” and guessing correctly at least seventy percent of the time, boredom starts to seep into his bones. His eyes darted over to the row upon rows of students who haven’t been sorted yet at all and god, could he feel drowsiness catch up to his brain._

_He racked around his brain for ideas or anything to do, past all the physical and observational activities his brain had provided for him. His leg bounced as his fingers played with the hems of his robes, face scrunched up in thought._

_“I’ll tell you all the good spots to skip class in.” The advice rang out inside his brain. You could physically see the lightbulb light up above his head as the gears on his brain started to move again._

_With this sea of people, surely they wouldn’t notice one or two guys missing, would they?_

_His eyes landed on a certain lock of lavender hair, and on that same night, as they both slowly sneaked out of the dreary hall, into the silent hallways, and out to the dim courtyard. Under the moonlight, a new 'allyship' formed amidst the calm of the night._

Ace stared at his outstretched arm. 

No, he will not make the same mistakes as before anymore. This is no time to slack off, he needs to find a way to survive the impending doom. A small sacrifice to avoid a disaster, right? It also isn’t as if he wouldn't be able to reform the same relationship at a later time in this timeline. 

Ace retracted his hands, averting his eyes to the mirror.

His eyes widened. 

Those exact strands of deep blue hair, the glistening bright blue eyes staring deeply into the mirror, some sort of determination simmering beneath the calm blue eyes.

“That’s-” Ace gulped before his mouth hung open, watching as the cursed bastard worked his way over back to his seat after being pronounced a Heartslabyul student. 

Ace didn’t know if he had meant to grab at his wrists or if he had meant to tug on it, bringing him closer to a frozen in place Ace. He didn’t know why he had done it, really. Looking at every side possible he was never close with the guy, only getting to talk to him in the last battle and only knowing him in passing. 

But…

His chest heaved with relief, his breath hitching in his throat upon seeing the guy alive and well. No, no way, how in hell is he feeling relief over seeing this guy alive? They’ve only been friends for at most four days, so how, what, why is he feeling this way towards a man who was practically a stranger to him until five days ago. 

“I-is something wrong?” Deuce asked, his face contorting into a mix of confusion and slight displeasure. “Can I help you with anything?” 

“I-I’m sorry-” Ace dropped Deuce’s hand as if it were hot coal burning his hands. “I don’t- I- I’m sorry for grabbing you like that- I’m-” Ace trailed off, and both boys fell into an awkward silence. 

“You’re…. Ace, right?” Deuce rubbed at his wrists

“Y-yeah, yeah that’s right.” Ace scratched at the back of his neck. Deuce turned around swiftly, sending a breeze Ace’s way. 

“We shouldn’t be standing around here, it’s best if we both get back to our seats.” 

Ace let out a small chuckle under his breath. _Ever the strict guy._ Ace gave him a small pat on his shoulders as he went over to his original seat. 

“See you back at the dorm, dormmate.”

* * *

A creak sounded in the dead of the night, the window opening without a hitch, letting sweet, fresh air inside the room. God knows what time it is right now, Ace couldn’t care less about it. He couldn’t sleep at all - how could he, after all, that had almost transpired just hours before (when in fact it wouldn’t even happen for months to come.)

As he leaned on the windowsill, his phone buzzed, displaying a message from his brother.

_ >>sms from aniki: _

_ur probably asleep by now but im proud of u._

_congrats on getting in~_

_the mountain of homework is awaiting u <3 _

Ace smiled. In the midst of all the chaos of his brain, he was glad to be able to find solace in his brother. They had been close as kids, their banters always a vital part of his everyday life. It was also him who had given him advice on his coming to Night Raven College. His finger hovered over the call button, turning around and leaning his back on the open window. 

His finger lowered, and the distinct beep of the call rang in his ear. 

_“Hello??? Ace?? Why are you awake?? Do you know what time it is??”_ The crisp voice of his brother rang out, and Ace knew he had made the perfect choice in calling him. 

“Why are _you_ awake?” 

_“Okay, touche.”_ Ace could hear the distinct rustle of the bedsheets and some indistinct clicking sounds. _“So? What did you break this time? Or did Mr. Yasashii finally break his streak of yasashii-ness?”_

“WH- NO! I just-” Ace took a deep breath. “I.... can’t sleep, there’s… a lotta things going on in my head.” 

_“Mmm… who knew, a day when Ace would be faced with this prospect. I dare say I am quite shock.”_

“HEY!”

_“Just kidding~”_ for a moment, the rustling and the clicking stopped. _“Are you okay there?”_ Ace suddenly felt like swallowing was a huge feat in itself. He sighed. 

“If I’m being completely honest? Abso-fucking-lutely not.” 

A small beat of silence ensues. 

_“You know, your trusty aniki is always here if you wanna talk about it. In fact-”_ Ace could hear more rustling. _“If you wanna talk about it your aniki is right here. I still recommend you go to sleep though, you sound utterly exhausted. But if talking about it makes you feel better then I’m cool with it.”_

Another sigh. “No…. I think I’m good.” 

He was not, in fact, in any way, good. 

Ace could hear his brother sigh from the other line. 

_“You really sure?”_

“Yeah, I’m a hundred percent sure. I should be going to bed anyways.” Ace turned to head over to plop on his bed. 

_“Okay, whatever floats your boat baby-ppola-”_ A quick “don’t call me baby-ppola!” was heard from Ace’s side. _“-but if you need to talk-”_

“What is this? Does my aniki miss my voice so much?? Awwww look, he actually cares~” Ace crooned in his bastard voice with his bastard smirk that even his brother could hear the shit-eating grin he put on, laughing.

_“Not in a thousand years! Bye!”_

“Boo! I’m filing for sibling neglect. Goodnight.” Ace promptly tossed his phone aside before picking himself up to go and charge his phone. Right after he did, though, his body immediately plopped down on the bed, eyes trailed at the red, black, and white painted ceiling of his room. 

Shutting his eyes, Ace tossed and turned, trying to at least get some shut-eye, but his mind only supplied him with more twisted horrors to work on. He sat up abruptly, walking over to the window. He leaned his head on the windowsill, watching the constellations blinked up above. 

_If I think about it, the sky was also clear the night before the fight… It was nice, watching the stars with those guys._ Ace shook his head. He just cannot afford to pretend that today was normal. Far from it, really, with what he had experienced just mere hours before but what felt like days or months ago. His body ached as if his bones would crack with the slightest pressure applied to it. 

If he looked into a mirror he wouldn’t be surprised if he could see heavy bags under his eyes, an itch nagging itself on his eyes constantly throughout the day, but this time it wasn't grime or dirt that had entered his eye. Looking down at his hands, it was wiped clean, not even a single drop of blood or any kinds of traces of a battle left on them.

_Gritting his teeth, Ace gripped at his magical pen._

_Hands drenched in blood that’s not his own, Ace concentrated on his magical abilities, planning to one shot the overblotting Diasomnia dorm leader. His throat let out a hoarse battle cry as his body screamed at him from the pain. Adrenaline is what keeps him going and what deafens his ear to the sound of his other battle comrades._

_His feet leaped, bringing him to the air._

_A bright beam of light engulfed the whole battlefield._

_Opening his eyes, Ace could only see darkness._

Hands furled into itself so tight that Ace himself was surprised blood wasn’t drawn from the sheer force in which he dug his fingernails into his palm. 

_So… I really am the only one who remembers that battle…. The only one who knows our fate…._

Ace balls his hands into a fist. 

_No. I don’t want to ever relive that ever again. I don't want to die like that._

_I_ **_will_** _find a way._


	2. Improv

It was a wonderful afternoon at Night Raven College. 

Of course, with Ace, it always had to be a was. 

Waking up to the _pleasant_ feeling of oxygen loss and drops of sweat dripping down his forehead and chin was a _way_ to wake up - albeit a _little_ unconventional. 

Still, it wasn’t something unusual, having already experienced that one too many times. He could feel his eyes itching and irritating and every muscle in his body aching. 

Day sufficiently ruined, Ace trotted over towards the Hall Of Mirrors, eyeing out for a certain asshole and his raccoon pet monster. This isn’t how the whole thing is supposed to go! Ace sighed, wondering where exactly he had gone wrong. He had been extremely meticulous with the past few timelines and this one, so what exactly went wrong?! 

_"Skipping with Epel is definitely the right choice...I think. I didn’t grab Deuce’s hand this time around, I didn’t cause the same commotion as the second time and I definitely DIDN'T try Lilia senpai's cooking this time or ever! My stomach is still recovering from that…"_ Ace racked his brain for every single 'mistake' he could remember from the previous timelines. 

" _SO HOW IN HELL DID THAT NON-MAGIC ASSHOLE GET HERE? HE WASN’T HERE BEFORE, SO WHY IS HE SHOWING UP NOW!!! GRAAAAAAAAA-"_ Thoroughly frustrated, Ace scratched at his head, messing up his porcupine of a hair. 

Stopping in front of the hallways leading to the Hall of Mirrors, Ace caught up to his breath. He slumped against the walls of the hallway. Calming down his breath, the fog in his brain seemed to clear a bit. 

Teeth bit against the inside of his cheek as the question threw itself round and round his head. Throughout the numerous timelines that Ace had gone through, nothing of the sort had happened, no mysterious new student, no flame ball-spitting raccoon-cat, and certainly not this situation right here. Ace’s hands brushed against his magical pen, and his eyes flew towards the glowing gem of the pen. 

It would help him, wouldn’t it? Just by resetting this loop, he will be able to push everything under his belt, take everything back under his control again. He’s already gone through this procedure at least more than ninety times, what’s one loop more? Standing up, he prepared himself to cast the spell. 

That part of his brain screamed at him to turn the whole loop from the start of the year, upping his chances of surviving and saving his friends. 

His hands relaxed their grip, and once again he slumped against the wall. He slipped the magical pen into his pocket. No, he wasn’t going to reset this. At least, not until he can make out what will be the fate of all his friends and _him._ Ace continued along the hallway, arms crossed behind his back. 

_At least I lost those two pricks. Finally, some peace and quiet-_

“OI YOU!” 

_Fucking..._

Turning around, Ace was faced with the two most insufferable faces he has seen in his whole damn life, a non-magic wielding plain ass brunette and a delusional raccoon. 

“Ah, shit.” With a groan, Ace faced the two new students. 

“Real sweet of you to leave us both to do OUR punishment.” Despite their sweet smile, Ace could hear the poison dripping from the brunette’s (what was their name again? You? Yuu?) words, lacing every syllable thickly.

“Yeah, nope.” 

Ace immediately started dashing towards the Hall of Mirrors, dashing past anything and anyone on his path to a free, silent afternoon. The raccoon - Grim, wasn’t it? - let out a weird sound, akin to a mix of a gurgle and a yell, and ran after Ace. 

“O-Oi! Get back here you jerk!!! I wanted to skip out too!” 

“Not the time, Grim!” Yuu told him off and with that, the two chased off after Ace. 

Dashing through the hallways, Ace shoved past several students who were in his way whilst he could feel Grim and Yuu on his heels. He gritted his teeth. _So long, peaceful life, may you be fucking missed._ Right as he was turning around the corner to enter the Hall of Mirrors, a tuft of blue hair peeked from behind the walls. Finally, a comforting face!

Ace wanted to call out to Deuce, wanted to hug him and cuddle to oblivion. He wanted to once again feel the breeze as they sat together, shoulder to shoulder, worrying about nothing else except their own selves. His chest clenched at the memory, his teeth grinding against each other. His hand reached out, arms tensing around Deuce-

“Out of my way!” 

-and shoved him aside.

No, Ace had made an oath not to get distracted by any means. He needs to protect Deuce at any cost, even if it means sacrificing a piece of his soul and a few minutes of interaction. Tingling hands gripped against firm arms and shoved him out of the way of his plans. 

“Wh-!” 

Running past a very bewildered Deuce, Ace dashed for the Heartslabyul mirror, freedom awaiting him in just several feet. Ace could hear the three screaming about, surely plotting on how to necessarily stop him, but he paid no mind to it - not when his plans were being foiled by them.

Looking back, Ace took a sigh of relief; there is at least a considerable distance between him and the three Motley crew that they wouldn't be catching up to him anytime soon. And hopefully, that soon will be the end of the timeline, he had a timeline and sanity to save and those two are not helping in the slightest! 

_This timeline is such a pain in my ass- what else is gonna go wrong?_

A shadow appeared above his head, and before Ace could even react, A huge _gong_ sounded out above his head, the sound ringing in his ear. Turning his head, he could see a huge black cauldron squishing him to the ground, locking him in place. 

“Gyahaha!! Ace got squashed by the cauldron, you’re as flat as a pancake now!!!"

_Make that a crepe._ From the corner of his eye, he could see one Yuu, smug as ever, the grin on their face never escaping their features throughout the whole exchange, one Grim, laughing his raccoon-cat ass off, and one Deuce, trembling and shaking as he held his magical pen. 

Aimed at Ace. 

_Really? Et Tu, Deuce??_

Ace sighed as the two _idiots_ walked on over to him, strutting as they did so, glowing in the aftermath of their actions, followed by a very clueless Deuce. Ace really, _really_ wanted to wipe those stupid grins from their faces, shove them inside the cauldron, and leave it out on the Valley Of Thorns. He stuck out his hand, a clear ask for help, and thankfully that call for help was answered by Deuce. 

“This sucks...” Ace sat up as the cauldron was removed from his back. “Cleaning the 100 windows would’ve been a breeze anyway-”

“What?!” Deuce looked at Ace like he was looking at some deformed alchemic product, something that was so horrific that he couldn’t even imagine. Under that judging gaze, Ace could feel his pride falling by several feet and squashed under Deuce’s pristine loafers. First encounter and the first thing Ace makes clear to Deuce is that he’s a no-good student. Great. Just great. Fantastic.

“Cleaning a hundred windows…” Deuce gingerly placed his fingers on his chin. “What did you do to get such a punishment??” 

Sitting cross-legged, Ace sighed, rubbing his back. That’s gonna leave a mark for sure. “I got into a fight with the damn furball,” Ace gestured towards Grim, “-and _he_ accidentally charred the Queen of Hearts’ statue…just a little.” Deuce’s eyes widened marginally that Ace was worried that he might pop out of his head. 

“Y-you damaged one of the Great Seven’s statue?!” Deuce shook his head. 

Ace pressed his ear, god bless this man but Lord please let him have some sense of surroundings.“It was an accident Deuce!” 

Eyes shot to him as he scrambled to put on a neutral face. He eyed the blue-haired boy’s reaction, and needless to say, he looks just as surprised as Ace thought he would. 

“Y-you know my name?” 

If this whole timeline never existed, Ace would’ve just leaped into Deuce’s arms, pinch his cheeks, and kiss him into oblivion just because of the lost puppy face he put on right after Ace called his name out. His heart clenched and heartbeat sped, his whole body was covered in goosebumps as he stared longer into Deuce’s eyes. 

He gulped and laughed sheepishly. “C-Course I do!” Propping himself up, Ace pat at his pants, fixating on the suddenly very interesting loose strand on his pants. “Doesn’t hurt to remember your classmate’s name does it??” 

“I… suppose so.” and with that, Deuce seemingly convinced himself to believe Ace’s words, and he breathed a sigh of relief. 

_Finally, a piece of a quiet afternoon has returned- wait peace and quiet?_

“Great, now that we caught up with you-” Yuu stopped talking, they looked around their feet. “Wait…”

“Where the hell is that furball?” 

Yuu dashed over to the window, peering through the stained glass windows. Ace shared a look with Deuce as both could hear Yuu grind their teeth together, their hands balled into a fist and raising up to smash the window. Ace hurriedly rushed on over to them, holding their arm back as both he and Deuce peered out to find a fleeing, gleeful Grim. Who would’ve thought that they were hot-headed?? This is going to be such a mess...

“That damned raccoon!!!” The brunette dashed out of the building and into the courtyard, both Ace and Deuce just behind them. “I’m going to turn him into grilled meat if that’s the last thing I will do!!” 

“Please don’t actually burn him!” Deuce yelled as he ran alongside Ace.

The three followed after the grey raccoon-cat, going through Main Street and into the Cafeteria, where Grim was standing proudly at the center of the room. Yuu jumped on over to catch him, but the only thing they caught was air and a faceful of dirt and dust. 

Ace gritted his teeth, running over to the table Grim was placing himself on and tried to trap him in his arms, but the cat was quicker and evaded Ace’s assault on him.

“Dammit, he won’t stay still!” He slumped at the bench before regrouping with both Ace and Deuce. The trio watched as the cat scaled the walls and jumped onto a chandelier, his paws laid on his hips, laughing at the misery of the three students. 

“HAHAHAHA! Try catching me now suckers!!!!!” Ace could practically hear the raspberry being blown his way despite the distance. 

“You little sh-'' He could see Yuu from the corner of his eye, said student’s eye twitching, hands fisting, and eyes darkening in annoyance, their stance mirroring Ace’s own.

“Catch me if you can~” Grim sang as he hopped on over to another chandelier. Ace growled, chasing after Grim but was held back by Deuce. 

“I got it!” His eyes were literally sparkling with joy as his hand pulled out his magic pen and pointed it at Ace’s general direction. The redhead held his hand up as he slowly backed away from the other boy, the other student doing the same, clearing out a space for Deuce. 

“Why is that magic pen pointed towards me?” Ace frantically said, his eyes trained at the glowing gem of the magical pen. Deuce’s eyes kept sparkling and Ace found himself trapped in a corner with no way to escape. He gulped. 

“I’m going to throw you.” 

Ace stared at Deuce, horrified, backing away as far as his legs will take him whilst Yuu tried holding back their laughter. Oh no, nononono there is no way Ace is going to agree to this plan. There is just not enough love in this world to convince Ace to be thrown right at the chandelier just to catch a damn raccoon.

“HELL NO NO NO NO!” Deuce looked towards Yuu for confirmation and he got it in the form of a thumbs up. Yuu began grinning at Ace and mouthing a ‘good luck’. Oh, Ace is really going to punch this bastard. 

Deuce beamed, turning back towards Ace, and he focused his magic into his magical pen. Ace could feel wind currents coming from Deuce’s general direction, and his eyes widened. His heart raced, but not in a good way, as he felt his feet leave the ground and him floating in the cafeteria.

“W-WAIT A SECOND!” Ace yelled at the top of his lungs as the wind current grew stronger, bringing him higher into the air. “THIS IS A VERY VERY _VERY_ BAD PLAN!!!” 

“THEN SO BE IT!! TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM!!!!” Deuce aimed his magical pen towards the chandelier Grim was on, which in turn, sent Ace flying through the ceiling and into the chandelier, crashing into it face first. 

“AAAAAA- SHIITTT!!!!!!” 

“FGNYAAAA????!!!!!” 

A loud crash rang throughout the empty cafeteria, sending dust all throughout the checkered floor. Ace rubbed at his head, him laying down, pressed against something that he was sure to be Grim. He could hear footsteps approaching him and a voice talking. 

“Oh, this can _not_ be good,” Yuu spoke as both they and Deuce helped Ace get up from the rubble, Yuu locking Grim in place. Ace coughed as he could feel Deuce’s arms wrapping around his shoulders to support his coughing ass. 

“What the hell…?!” Ace shot daggers at Deuce, who looked more or less guilty about the whole experience. He scratched at the side of his head with his finger. 

“I.. ah...uhm...didn’t think about the landing…” 

In most other timelines, Ace would’ve found this airheadedness and dorkiness very endearing, liking the small pout on his face every time he pokes fun and teases at it. Deuce’s face flushed but Ace couldn’t find it in him to find any part of it endearing or cute, and instead, he shoved himself off of Deuce, fully annoyed by this point in the timeline. 

“Are you an idiot?!!” He snapped at the blue-haired boy. “We may have gotten Grim but if the headmaster finds out-” 

“If I…found out?” 

If there was a time when Ace genuinely thought that his heart would stop, it was at this exact moment. His whole body tensed up like a stiff board and he animatedly turned around, along with both Deuce and Yuu, all three sheepishly chuckling at the same time. 

“Ahahahah… headmaster....” The three simultaneously said, scooting closer to each other as their collective knees went weak. Grim stirred in Yuu’s arms, and Ace was just hoping that the headmaster is more preoccupied with Grim compared to the fallen chandelier. 

“F-F-Fgna~ I can see stars…Why is the room spinning…??” 

“JUST WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU ALL DOING????” Crowley yelled, startling them right out of their own skins. 

Needless to say, after the whole fiasco, both Ace and Deuce walked the halls of Night Raven College with a suspension hanging above their heads. Ace slumped down a nearby wall, utterly and totally defeated. Glancing over to Deuce, Ace could see that he was in a similar position. Desperate, angry - no fuming with rage - and… determined, somehow. 

Ace could remember when was the last time he was punished remotely this harsh, and when he could see that same look on Deuce’s face. 

* * *

_It was a cloudless night, the sky was clear and the stars were visible from even Ace’s dorm room window. He checked back at his phone, a buzz signaling an incoming message for him._

_sms to aniki <<< _

_hey you said the rooftop is accessible right_

_ >>>sms from aniki_

_yeah,_

_but only if ur not caught_

_good luck ( -_ _v_ _\- )9_

_sms to aniki <<< _

_.very assuring_   
  


_Ace could practically hear his brother snorting at his answer, but he shook it out of his thoughts, changing the chatroom to call out a certain someone into his room. You see, this was a special day, as Ace had finally figured out a way to fix the timeline and avoid their eventual doom. A special day indeed and any special days require a special celebration._

_Special celebrations with a special someone, of course._

_But of course, he wouldn’t know what exactly the special occasion is._

_A good few minutes later, they were out in the hallways of the tallest floor of Night Raven College, Ace using his magical pen to try and unlock the windows. Deuce just behind him, dressed in a white T-shirt with a small little chicken printed on it and black sweatpants. Ace blinked, turning around from his work to admire Deuce in the outfit and steal a small kiss from Deuce._

_“F-focus!”_

_“I am!” He laughed a little. "It's just, you're so cute! Are you trying to impress me? Aw, how adorable~" Deuce turned his face away, cheeks flushing red, visible even under the dim moonlight._

_“It’s just a t-shirt and some pants, nothing special.” Ace just chuckled, turning around to focus once more on his work._

_Hah, you look like a cute child though-” Deuce smacked him on his side, not saying a word afterwards and turned to be on the lookout for their secret outing. White sneakers tapped against green carpets as time ticked by and Ace still hasn’t unlocked the window._

_“Ace, I really don’t think-”_

_“Shh, it’s almost finished,” His fingers twisted around with the lockpick - as he had given up on using magic a good several minutes ago. “Hold on and be quiet.”_

_“Is it really that special? To the point where we have to break into the roof?”_

_Ace hushed him.“Yes, now shut up and look….” Ace’s hand fiddled with the lock. “-at this!”_

_Click!_

_With a push and shove, the window slid open with no difficulties, letting in the cool night air slip inside. Ace wrapped one arm around Deuce’s hips, carrying him out of the window and right onto the rooftop. Deuce’s arms wrapped around Ace’s neck tightly as the two stepped out into the cool night’s air._

_“Wh- How?” Deuce stared at Ace who was carrying his own body, mouth gaping at his boyfriend. Normally, it would be the other way around, with Deuce carrying Ace around everywhere he goes - despite Ace having the capacity to actually walk and carry him; he’s just a lazy piece of shit. Ace just shoots Deuce a shit-eating grin._

_“You’re not the only one who can manhandle someone in this relationship- why do you look so tense…"_

_His grip on Ace's jacket tightened, "Don't drop me, don't drop me, don't-"_

_"I GET IT, JEEZ!" As soon as they stepped on the solid ground of the rooftop, Ace gently let Deuce down his arms, moving his hands to grip at his hands instead, tugging towards the edge of the roof._

_For a moment everything was still, just the two boys sitting next to each other, eyes gazing to the horizon and heads leaning against each other. Throughout the whole process the two boys never let go of each others’ hands, seeking both warmth and comfort in each other. Ace leant further into the crook of Deuce’s neck, making himself comfortable in that region, inhaling the sweet scent of whatever perfume and shampoo the other boy used._

_“Won’t we get caught this way?” Deuce looked around, flapping the front of his t-shirt thanks to the previous adrenaline rush. He eyed at Ace’s jacket - weird, it wasn’t necessarily cold by any means so why did he even bother to wear his winter jacket?_

_“We won’t.” Deuce’s hand wandered over to the tips of Ace’s jacket, finding the zipper and fiddling around with it._

_“Are you sure?” Slowly Deuce’s hand picked apart the flaps of Ace’s jacket, revealing a white t-shirt underneath. Ace’s hand gripped at Deuce’s lacing it together instead._

_“Positive.” Pouting, Deuce unlaced his hand from Ace’s, zipping the jacket open the whole way to reveal the same exact print of a baby chicken t-shirt, one that was definitely stolen from him. Ace swatted Deuce’s hand away, re-zipping the jacket and not making eye contact with a smirking Deuce._

_“Sounds unconvincing coming from you but alright.”_

_“Well that’s more like it!” Ace immediately steered the conversation away from what Deuce had just witnessed. It wasn’t like he wanted to wear the shirt anyways, it was the only clean one and it just so happened to lay on his bed. He definitely didn’t want to wear this shirt, he was just technically forced to wear it!_

_“Now c’mon let’s move to the top, the view is better there.”_

_Without waiting for an answer, Ace grabbed the boy's wrist and began dashing towards the highest vantage point of the school, the top most tower of the school. Right as they arrived, the view of most everything in the vicinity of the school came into their vision. Both boys held their breaths, just admiring the view before Deuce chuckled._

_“I’ll admit, the view is really pretty.” Ace grinned, walking over to plop over at the ledge, his feet dangling from the edge. He patted his lap, and Deuce rushed over, laying his head on Ace’s lap._

_“You know who else is pretty?” Ace could see Deuce physically combust, his cheeks turning the brightest shade of red he’s ever seen in the boy as he just continued staring at the moon and stars._

_“H-huh?? I- well, I mean- I’m-”_

_“Me,” Ace stuck out his tongue, turning his head to stare at Deuce, who hit at his stomach once the line was delivered._

_“Jerk.” Puffing out his cheeks served Deuce nothing but bring a small pinch to his cheek, which in turn earned Ace another stomach punch._

_“Ouch! Hey, what the heck??” He rubbed at his belly, another hand reaching back to support himself._

_“Serves you right!”_

_A beat of silence brough both boys’ heads upwards, two eyes trailing at the numerous glimmering and glittering stars hanging in the night sky. Ace closed his eyes, feeling the breeze of the approaching fall come brushing at his shoulders and hair. His hand absentmindedly brushed through thick blue locks of hair as his eyes once again wandered over to the moon up above, bringing a small something that Ace’s brother had said._

_“...there’s a rumour that if you and your partner sit together under a full moon, you’ll be by each other’s side for the rest of your life. How cheesy is that?? I think I heard it from a friend. HAH, as if!"_

_Ace had laughed at that time, it being extremely cliched and way, way too cheesy but right now, he really, really wanted to believe in that rumour. A small part of him wishes that both he and Deuce could stay together forever, right by his side no matter what happens. He wants to stay in this moment, drinking in the sight of a content Deuce, laying on his lap, his hands playing with the ends of - his now shedded - jacket, under the glistening glow of the moonlight, framing Deuce’s face in such an ethereal glow._

_“Hey, Deuce?” The boy gave a small hum of approval, indicating that he was listening. Ace scratched at the side of his forehead, eyes wandering around but never landing on Deuce, and cheeks flushed pink._

_“D-do you think we’ll…” Ace trailed off, trying to find the right words to say. “I don’t know, stay by each other’s side like this?”_

_It was silent as Ace held his breath, waiting for a reply from Deuce. Ace’s brain raced, supplying him with thoughts that he had made a mistake, that he shouldn’t have asked that, that he should’ve waited a little longer, should’ve seen things more realistically._

_"This is so stupid, forget it-"_

_A gentle hand reached out to cup Ace’s._

_“I…I'm not sure, but-” Deuce opened his eyes, staring straight at Ace’s red, fiery eyes. He gave a toothy grin. “-I would love to in the future.”_

_Face fully flushing red now, Ace covered his face with his arms, wanting the earth to swallow him whole with that kind of confession. Who wouldn’t, to be honest? It was a heavy subject to bring up, and an even heavier subject to hear the answer to. How could Deuce even say that with such a carefree face? He couldn’t help but bite at his lower lip and not being able to produce a cohesive reply, Ace simply nodded._

_“Ah- uhm- was that too much? I’m sorry-”_

_“No, no!”Ace scratched at the back of his head. “I’m just… embarrassed to hear it out loud." He covered his mouth with a hand and muttered "Idiot."_

_“O-oh…” Deuce let out a chuckle as he proceeded to rise up from his position. “Then how are you going to act when you pro...pose…..” He let out a small squeak as his face turned the same color as Ace’s. “I-I MEAN YOU WILL HAVE TO PROPOSE TO SOMEONE ONE DAY RIGHT??? I MEAN IF YOU WANT TO!! IT DOESN’T EVEN HAVE TO BE ME!!!!! Why am I so nervous-”_

_He was cut off by a pair of cool hands resting on his cheeks. Taking a good look at Ace, Deuce could see his cheeks considerably redder than any other instance he has seen the other boy in, and he could simply feel some sort of determination emitting from him. Ace took in a deep breath as he prepared himself for whatever he may say._

_"Y-you know that you said you wanted to find a job first before anything else???"_

_A shy nod was the answer._

_“Wh-when you finally get the job that you wanted, marry me!” Deuce looked at Ace, wide-eyed and mouth falling to shape a perfect ‘O’ shape._

_“I-”_

_“May I ask what you two are doing up here on the roof, at three in the morning?” Ace and Deuce were lucky they weren’t that close to the ledge anymore or else there would’ve been some serious casualties in the hands of their headmaster by now._

_“GYAA- HEADMASTER?!” Both boys yelled out at the same time, almost catapulting seven feet from where they were if it weren’t for them holding onto each other._

_“THE HELL WAS THAT? WHERE DID YOU EVEN COME FROM?” Ace immediately yelled, not giving a damn that it's 3 A.M._

_Rubbing his chest, Deuce sighed, “I really thought my heart would explode from that…”_

_Crowley let out a small tsk sound and glared at the two boys. “Surprised or not, you two are breaking the rules! I will be dealing with you two in the morning so make sure to stop by first thing in the morning, do you understand?” Two heads hung in slight shame, sighing._

_“Yes, headmaster.” The boys could see Crowley’s mouth turn upwards into a small smile behind his Plague Doctor looking mask._

_“Good, now please get off the roof and head back to your dormitory.” With a swish of his cape, Crowly jumped off the roof, landing perfectly into his open office window, leaving the two boys alone. Another sigh is exchanged between the two boys as Ace brought himself up to his feet, stretching his arm out for the other boy to grab at._

_“Well at least it was fun while it lasted, c’mon, let’s go-”_

_Deuce grabbed at Ace’s wrist, preventing him from moving forward. He stared into Ace’s eyes, the same blue ocean Ace loved to be engulfed by, but this time enhanced by something much, much stronger._

_“The answer is a yes.”_

_“Huh?” Ace blinked as Deuce simply tugged him closer._

_“The thing about after I find the job of my dreams,” Deuce squeezed Ace’s hand. “It's a yes.”_

_For a quick moment, Ace went silent before turning away from Deuce. “I-I was just- stupid...” he took a sharp inhale of breath, turning around to look at those electrifying eyes once more. “I Love you!”_

_Deuce’s face softens as his features curved upwards to form that smile that Ace oh so loves. “I love you too.” The two boys leaned in for a small, chaste kiss, one shared under the glistening moonlight, one that tasted like vanilla and musk, one sharead after a night of sharing previously unsaid confessions._

_“Let’s get back to the dorm.”  
_

_Ace sighed. “Our heads are gonna be chopped off by the time morning comes.”_

_“I told you we shouldn’t have done it…”_

* * *

He raised his head and stared at Ace. 

“I’m going to go get those magical stones.” 

“What?” 

“You heard me.” He crossed his arms. “I’m going to go get those magical stones.” Red, simmering eyes met against piercing blue ones, determination swimming amongst those blue seas. Ace sighed, refusing to make eye contact with Deuce. 

“You’re gonna get yourself killed.” 

“We don’t know that yet.”

"Hey, let's just-" Yuu tried to interfere but both boys ignored them. "Or just ignore me. That's fine, I will simply disappear from this conversation."

“And what if you do? What are you going to do if you get injured? Or worse, killed?” A sigh brought a small puff of white smoke out of Ace’s mouth. He loved this part of Deuce - the fighting for everything he stands for and standing his ground each time part of him - but in this case, with him not knowing anything about this situation, that part of him is just turning into a hindrance. Ace walked past Deuce, tapping his shoulders while doing so.

He turned around, eyes meeting Deuce’s. 

“Meet me at the Courtyard, tonight at 6. Don’t forget to bring the racoon and the smug deadweight too.” 

"So we're just excluded from this conversation??" Yuu tilted their head, crossing their hands.

“Shush, minion! I think they’re having ‘a moment’.” Grim poked at Yuu’s cheek with his stubby paw.

"I seriously doubt that this is their first time meeting…"

Deuce raised his head, staring at Ace’s retreating figure. He stopped in front of the cross section leading to the courtyard, still not facing Deuce. He stuffed his hands inside his pockets.

“Well at least if you’re gonna go there, take us with you. You’re not the only one carrying this burden, you know?” He turned his head at Deuce, a soft, chaste smile decorating his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know that originally, this chapter wasn't supposed to be this gay


	3. The Queen Of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which Riddle goes feral, deuce goes grr, and ace goes "i am once again asking you to marry me"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hewwo! emil here, just a small note for you guys, the blocks of words that are in italic are categorized as either flashbacks or glimpses of other timelines! Sorry if it wasn't made clear before sjdsh 
> 
> anyways, lets go on into the chapter! happy reading :)

_ Water sloshed around in the bucket as another plate was dunked into it.  _

_ Eyes trailed the path the droplets took as it launched from inside the bucket and landed on Ace’s apron. He paused in his step. Somehow, someway, he had managed to figure out the root of the problem, the thorn in his path that separated him from a clean run. All he needed was a confirmation.  _

_ He could feel his heartbeat quickening. _

_ The soap-lathered plate felt cool against his warm, clammy palm (he was worried he might also drop the plate). His sleeves chafed against his skin, pinching it and definitely leaving red marks, yet Ace paid no mind to it. The pain was somewhat grounding, he decided.  _

_ A lilting hum came from the man beside him, glasses slightly askew. The white black and red suit of their dorm had been abandoned, leaving only a plain white t-shirt behind. Ace took a deep breath. If this goes as planned, the magical pen inside his pocket wouldn’t be used. He could, perhaps, finally be free- his friends- all of them could finally leave from this nightmare. _

_ “Trey-senpai.” _

_ “Hm?” Came the response. Ace bit his lip, hands continuing to work on the plates. Why was his heart racing this quickly? He’s gone through much, much worse things so why in the world is this the one when his heart threatens to beat right out of his chest?  _

_ “Can I ask you something?” Trey put down the plate he was wiping, although Ace didn’t understand why he still insists on wiping them - Ace could already hear the cloth squeak against the porcelain.  _

_ Fingers reached up to fix the askewn glasses. “Of course,” Trey turned to face Ace, his hands on his hips as a slight frown was etched onto the upperclassman’s face. “What is it?”  _

_ “It’s about dorm leader.”  _ _  
_

* * *

“Off With Your Head!” 

Ace, for the nth time this timeline, has decided enough was enough. The line had been drawn, the breaking point at which Ace would turn around on his heels, say nope, and rewind time once more. And yet, here he was, at least a hundred miles away from that imaginary line, standing in front of his  _ beloved _ dorm leader, with a magical collar on his neck. 

It was silly, really, to be restricted of his magic after only eating one (1) slice of strawberry tart, and plus, could you blame him? He had just returned from the journey that brought his near-expulsion from the very school he had just barely entered (though in reality he felt like he could be categorized along with the ever failing Leona-senpai), and he was practically starving to his bones! The only thing he could find in the kitchen were the two large batches of tarts - a slice would be harmless right? There’s even a lot of it left even if he takes a slice! 

Well as with anything he does, Ace was in the wrong place in the wrong time. 

Eating the wrong food. 

His eyes met the very same deep hue of amber - a constant occurrence, no matter the timeline and the differing events. Ace found himself tuning out whatever lecture the dorm leader had prepared for him, instead focusing on a random, suddenly very interesting spot on Riddle’s white pants. It’s not that he doesn’t want to listen to him, it's just that after hearing the same lecture on the same exact rules tires his brain out, and frankly he was just irked off having to listen to the same exact thing over and over again. 

And so, right after heels clacked away both out of sight and hearing, Ace scratched at the back of his head, his feet bringing him to the furthest point of the school.

“HAAAAH????” Was the first reaction, first thing in the morning, from a half-asleep Yuu and Grim. Ace groaned. He knew he shouldn’t have gone to two of the noisiest residents of Night Raven College, yet here he was. 

“Geez, shut up you two you’re gonna wake the whole school up.” Even without an invitation, Ace let himself into the barely-standing-together dorm. It felt like even just a small tap on the floorboards could bring the whole structure down. His eyes darted over to Yuu, still in their nightgown. 

“Who even let you-” They moved over to close the door, Grim still spouting nonsense about how he absolutely didn’t want to be in a dorm with Ace - to which he could feel a small jab to his pride. “-Nevermind. Two questions though.” 

“Shoot.”

“One, why are you here, and two,” They gestured to his neck, “What even is that thing? A new choker? Is it a local accessory here?” Ace shot daggers at the student. Did they seriously not know anything about Riddle’s unique magic? To be fair, he wouldn’t put it past them.

“Fngna!! Isn’t that the same collar that red-headed shortie put on me?” Grim chipped up, and Ace for once thanked whatever god out there for the raccoon-cat’s one single braincell. 

“You’re lucky he ain't here or your head would already be chopped off,” Ace grumbled. He stretched his neck, showing Yuu the restricting and frankly, ugly-looking collar. “It’s dorm leader’s special magic, ‘Off With Your Head’. Basically it makes your magic go poof.” Yuu nodded, seemingly seeping in whatever Ace just said. 

They leaned their head back, fingers on their chin. “What did you even do that deserves...that?” Grim nodded alongside Yuu, prompting a sigh from Ace. 

After resettling themselves in the decently cleaned up living room, Ace proceeded to lay out the events that had brought him there in the first place. Yuu sat crossed-legged beside him on the sofa, Grim perched in the space between their legs. A small breeze blew by, sending the curtains flying and letting the moonlight frame their hunched figures on the sofa. 

It was… calming, to say the least, the still of the night, the lack of noises - excluding Ace’s voice ringing out throughout the decrepit dorm - worked to settle itself deep inside Ace’s bones, letting his body slump a little on the sofa as he finished up the story. He turned to face the gigantic ceiling to floor dome window right beside the sofa, eyes not quite gazing at the not-quite-horrendous-but-could-be-categorized-as-such courtyard beyond the confines of the dilapidated building. 

Silence follows thereafter, and Ace turns his head to come face to face with two blank faces in the form of Yuu and Grim. 

“Wh-what is that reaction-”

“You got your own self into this mess, Ace.” Yuu and Grim said simultaneously. Ace’s eyes widened as the words reached his ears, his posture immediately straightening. 

“But don’t you think it’s a little over the top to just… collar someone because of one slice of tart!? Plus, there were three whole pies in the fridge!” He carded his fingers through his orange locks, shoulders slumping once more. “And here I thought you guys will side with me on this one…” Eyes peered at the brunette, trying to gauge their reaction.

He was met instantly with Yuu playing dumb, a questioning look on their face and cocking their head to the side, their hand still petting Grim behind his fiery ears. “Well you can’t expect us to side with you when you’re in the wrong, though it does seem a little too overboard.” 

“Right??!” Ace threw his body back over the sofa arms, letting it dangle from the edge. At least they do understand that. 

“Still, have you apologized?” His whole body froze, and Ace suddenly found a spot on the back of his neck very fun to rub at. His entire upper body ached as he picked himself up to stare at Yuu. 

“I am gonna, tomorrow, and you two are gonna come with me.”

“Jeez, fine.” 

And with that confirmation, Ace promptly stood up, stretching out his arms and several small, satisfying pops could be heard. He turned over to Yuu. 

“So? Where will I be sleeping tonight?” 

* * *

Waking up to the sound of banging definitely wasn’t a good start, Ace decided. 

And neither is being greeted by the one man that he refuses to see before he’s at least properly dressed, showered, hair combed, and in general socially acceptable. Yet here he is, in his pajamas, hair sticking out in numerous directions, and stinks of morning breath.

“D-Deuce.”

Ace froze there, for a moment, and so did Deuce - if he had found the situation amusing, he didn’t comment on it, which the other was thankful for. Deuce crossed his arms. 

“I knew I’d find you here,” Ace stepped aside, letting the other man in. “The whole dorm’s heard of your fiasco with the dorm leader and everything.” He sighed, and Ace swears he could see Deuce’s eye twitch - in annoyment or frustration, he doesn’t know. 

“You’re an idiot, aren’t you?” 

Oh.  _ Oh.  _ Ace doesn’t want to hear this from Deuce right now, not at all, not when he himself had put everyone including himself in danger of expulsion just a mere forty-eight hours before. Ace frowned, mirroring Deuce’s pose. 

“Speak for yourself, idiot,” Ace turned towards the-still-open-door, avoiding Deuce’s hurt expression. He should really go and close the door, it feels as if the whole thing will collapse with a small gust of wind - in fact, he was surprised that it didn’t collapse while Deuce was doing his knocking number on it. A sudden thought crossed his mind. “By the way… is the dorm leader still mad at me?” 

Deuce’s expression softens as he stares at anything and everything except Ace’s eyes, “Not… completely. He’s just irritated and three poor guys suffered the same exact fate as you.” 

“Not completely my ass.” Ace deadpanned at Deuce, walking further into the building, “Anyways just go ahead, make yourself comfortable, we’re gonna go and apologize to dorm leader later.” 

As it turns out,  _ nothing  _ went according to Ace’s plans at all. 

Him, Deuce, Yuu, and Grim had headed towards the Heartslabyul dorm, managing to come across a rose-painting and somewhat eccentric - in Ace’s humble opinion - upperclassman, Cater Diamond, and was roped into doing forced and free labor. It had really been a while since Ace felt his whole body burning from both the heat, the sweat, and he was, needless to say, not at all stoked. 

Add to the fact that rule number fifty-eight dictates that everything stolen must be replaced with the exact same thing, yeah, Ace wasn’t having the best time exactly. His feet tapped against the green of the grass inside the botanical garden, his hands can’t stop fiddling with each other as he kept on picking chestnuts from the ground. He truly was grateful to Trey-senpai for volunteering to help them make the maron tart, but this isn’t exactly how he expected for it to come out. 

Finally, someway, somehow, they’re able to collect enough chestnuts and proceed to haul them back to the dorm. By this point Ace is somewhat convinced that his two upperclassmen have a dark, child-labor-inducing side to them that he’s just unravelling right now. 

By the end of the day, all five of them are slumped against the kitchen walls, hands twitching somewhat uncontrollably and definitely trembling after peeling at least two to three hundred chestnuts. Ace leant his head back. With this amount of workload, Ace probably will probably not be lifting another finger for another week or so, and judging by the looks on both Grim and Yuu’s faces, he is pretty sure they won’t be too. 

Deuce, in the meantime, has been looking at the tiled kitchen floor, sighing once every minute. Ace could literally see the gloomy, dark aura surrounding him, and he bets that if he looked over those blue eyes would be totally empty. He stood next to the sad shell of a boy, placing a hand on Deuce’s shoulder. Said boy turned slowly, muttering something under his breath.    


“Deuce, you okay?” 

“Eggs… don’t turn into chicks?” 

Ace blinked. 

At first it was chuckles, then followed by a snort, then soon a full blown laughter ensued from Ace’s mouth as Yuu, Grim, Trey, and Deuce looked at him in confusion. Yuu leant over to Trey.

“Do you sometimes feel like the background characters in their romcom?” 

“Since I first met them, which was today. Take that however you like. ” 

“And I'll take that comment as I please.” 

"The moment they breathed in my direction," Grim sighed, shaking his head. "It's annoying.  _ I'm _ supposed to be the main character, not them!"Yuu rolled their eyes at the little angry cat.

“Whatever you say, furball.” 

* * *

_ A cough.  _

_ “... About Riddle?” Trey blinked, his head cocked to his side, plates long forgotten. Ace nods, picking up the few plates that had stacked up and plunged them into the water, serving as a sufficient distraction for him. He gave a noncommittal shrug.  _

_ “Just saying but you should tell him that whatever he’s doing isn’t right-” Ace spots Trey widen his eyes before recomposing himself. “-nor does it align with what he wants.”  _

_ Minutes passed by as both men said nothing. Ace could hear his heartbeat drumming in his ears, all the blood pumping rapidly throughout his whole body, both heating up and cooling down his body. He feels feverish but he needs to push through. This whole timeline is at stake here, and he was so close last time, he has to get this right this time. He just wished that whatever he would say next will not piss off Trey-senpai instead, or so he hopes to the Great Seven.  _

_ “You should’ve actually done that when you guys were kids.” If Trey was surprised at that comment, he didn’t show it on his face at all, only sighing and resting his hands on the sink. Chocolate eyes refuse to meet with amber eyes. A sigh.  _

_ “Who told you that?”  _

_ “Some Che’nya guy.” Trey sighed again, his eyebrows furrowing deeply. Ace swears he could hear a small ‘I should’ve known’ but chose to ignore it.  _

_ “Him, huh?” For a moment, the kitchen returned to the temporary silence hanging above their heads. Ace gulped. It absolutely wasn’t the first time that he had confronted someone like this, but this? This was different. He might’ve been quite close to Trey before but in this timeline? They’re mere acquaintances. Nothing more than a passing friend. Ace had to tread carefully lest he fucks something up again.  _

_ A sudden movement caught Ace’s eye, and he held his breath as Trey stood up straight, turning his head to look precisely at him. His lungs felt like collapsing under such pressure, and his eyes suddenly didn’t know where to look, avoiding especially Trey’s empty stare. He opened his mouth, and Ace prepared himself.  _

_ A sigh was what came out, and with it so did Ace’s breath.  _

_ “Look, I know you’re worried but this is just how he is, Ace.” Trey turned around, body facing away from the sink. “This is how Riddle Rosehearts was, is, and always will be-” _

_ “Is it?” Trey snapped his head. Ace stared down at the plate he was wiping off. He could see his own reflection in the ceramic, it being polished to perfection, just how Riddle dictates it to be. But with that perfection, it’s ugly head rears; the more polished and shiny the porcelain, the clearer the cracks are - It’s perfect, and yet, why is it so flawed at the same time?  _

_ The only reason why it is still used is that the chef, the polisher, and the user continues to ignore the ever-prominent cracks. _

_ “Or is that what you’ve been telling yourself?”  _

* * *

Roses laid on the grey-painted grass, dead as they can be. 

Ace stood amidst the thick of the haze, surrounded by what he could make out to be Deuce, Grim, Yuu, Trey and Cater - he wouldn’t know through the damned screen of wind blocking him from seeing properly. 

His ears filled with buzzing and the crackling of fire, yet he doesn’t feel the warmth of it. On the contrary, it feels… cold, distant. The winds howled with every passing movement, carrying the cries of a young boy who searches for… for what? Validation? Love? Affection? All of the above? Ace doesn’t know exactly but it’s agonizing. 

Voices flew all around him in a flurry, but none caught onto his ears. Distantly he could hear Deuce and Trey’s voices melding as they try to think up a strategy. 

_ No, there’s no way we are going to even get the slimmest chance of survival!!  _ His hands reached for his magical pen. It’s easy enough. It’s right there. Just concentrate, and you can do this all over again. He raises his hands up, the gem starting to glow amidst the storm. 

Outstretched arms fought against the current of the winds, his glowing gem the only literal guiding light in the dim afternoon. 

He closed his eyes, arms facing the sky.

Preparing himself, he let the magic flow through him, casting a water spell, nullifying the battlefield somewhat. 

The team regrouped, backs against each other as they could finally distinguish what the others were saying. Trey was the first to speak up, his magical pen already aimed at Riddle. Ace’s eyes grew as large as saucers. What was he planning to do, exactly?

“YOU GUYS FOCUS ON BRINGING RIDDLE DOWN!!! I’LL USE DOODLE SUIT TO DISABLE RIDDLE’S SPECIAL MAGIC!!!” Ace could hear the blood rushing to his ears, feet thrumming with excitement. His magical pen became an impromptu baton, twirled around his fingers as he put on his most confident smirk. 

“Got it, senpai. C’MON DEUCE, GRIM, YUU!!!” The three gave a strong nod as they dashed through the battlefield, accompanying Ace at the front lines. They managed to swiftly dodge each and every attack, although there were no shortages of close calls. Ace jumped back as another attack landed just left of where he was, switching to standing right beside Deuce. 

“You okay, Deuce?” To which, he received a firm nod, and a hand to his shoulder. He could feel Deuce leaning on him, and his instincts  _ screamed  _ at him to check for injuries, because he knows that Deuce has much, much more stamina compared to this. Seemingly reading his thoughts, Deuce just smirked - oh this bastard.

“What, worried about me?” 

“It’s normal to be worried for a friend,” Ace felt the acerbic taste of the word on his tongue, but bit back the emotions.  _ Not now hindbrain. _ “-especially one who’s becoming a physical baggage to me.” Deuce growled -  _ growled!  _ \- at Ace. Ace could see both Yuu and Grim shaking their blank faces in disappointment, but soon regained their composure.

Ace could see a literal lightbulb above Yuu’s head as he skidded to a halt and turned towards both him and Deuce. Taking a deep breath, they shouted above their lungs. 

“ADEUCE!!! TRY CASTING WATER ELEMENT SPELLS!!!” Ace looked at Deuce. Deuce looked at Ace. 

“Adeuce….?” Both boys were confused, but decided it wasn’t the time to be discussing such matters. Both boys ran at full speed, concentrating their magic fully into casting the spell. Their magical pens glowed in a magnificent blue, the color enveloping the whole battlefield as waves crashed through the fires, bringing a sense of peace and calm yet also absolutely destroying anything in it’s way. 

The flames of wrath, envy, and sorrow have been extinguished, and with them they brought the downfall of one Riddle Rosehearts, lying on the grass. 

Ace panted heavily, his breathing all sorts of irregular. He looked around - the whole garden is a mess. The once beautiful and eerily haunting garden and maze now reduced to nothing but singed land and soil. Deuce immediately slumped on the ground, crossing his legs trying to catch his breath from exhaustion. 

Ace, on the other hand, was finding it harder to breathe and not for the reasons of fatigue. 

_ Jagged rocks dug into his skin as he crawled over, face scrunched up in pain.  _

He gripped at the white vest, his eyes refusing to see the victory sign dangling above their heads, blurring everything. 

_ The limp bodies were collected in a neat pile. Ace’s eyes were devoid of emotion. The soul has finally closed its doors.  _

Someone is calling out to him. Is he standing right now or is he sitting? He can’t feel the ground nor the air - it’s suffocating him. His body feels limp, is someone carrying him? He opens his eyes to see Riddle laying on the grass, unmoving. 

_ He could see the man weeping over what was lost, what got away, what stayed, and how he couldn’t protect them all. Ace felt pity for him.  _

He hears the voice again. It’s clearer this time. That voice as clear as a bell… he would recognize it anywhere, it was the voice of…

“Deuce?” 

“ACE DUMBASS TRAPPOLA WAKE UP!” A slap. 

Body jolting up, Ace half registers that he is on the ground, surrounded by his comrades. None of them had fallen, Ace reminded himself. Riddle was still alive, and it was all just a distant timeline. No bloodshed, no corpses. He slowly regained his footing and breathing back. 

"See, I told you. He's fine, Deuce," Yuu, the one who was gracious enough to slam Ace back into reality, scooted over near Grim so Deuce could look at him in the eyes. "All yours."

“Ace…” He could hear Deuce’s voice calling out to him, a little softer than what he expected. “Are you okay?” 

Ah. Of course. 

Standing up, Ace stretched his arms out and  _ accidentally  _ knocked his hand against Deuce’s head. “I’m fine, jeez.” His eyes wander over to Riddle. “How's dorm leader though?” He immediately changed the subject, hoping that everyone took the bait. 

“He’s fine, just taking a quick break.” Trey answered for him. Ace stared at the sleeping dorm leader, his features not etched in an eternal frown for once, and he really seemed… peaceful. 

Minutes and eventually an agonizing hour filled with worried glances and fiddling around fingers passed by before Riddle stirs, and immediately Trey and Cater move on over to Riddle’s side. Ace still stood beside Deuce, arms crossed as Yuu played around with Grim’s fur. 

“Ah good, he’s awake.” 

“Riddle, are you okay?” To which Trey got a small nod as a reply.

“I totally panicked… I don’t know what to do if you didn’t wake up. You shouldn’t scare people like that, Riddle kun~”

“It definitely is a relief that you have gained consciousness.” Ace could see even the headmaster sighing in relief; it seems like he does actually care about the students and not just some stupid reputation he needs to keep up. 

“Jeez, you do know you could stress relief in other ways, right?” Grim hopped down from where he was, perched atop Yuu’s shoulder. Ace nodded. 

“Preferably less murdery ways.” The two boys then receive two knocks to their heads, courtesy of both Deuce and Yuu. 

“Learn to read the room, you two.” 

The three upperclassmen decided to ignore their antics, and Trey crouched down to meet Riddle’s eyes. His hands slowly rubbed at Riddle’s hair, slightly messing it up. “You don’t have to think about anything, just sleep first.” Ace’s eyes widened as he stepped forward. 

“Hell no! No sleeping before I get my apology! And he needs to understand that what he did was dangerous! It would have cost everyone our lives!” The whole group went silent, and Cater was the only person to speak up. 

“Gee, Ace-chan~ you’re so mean~” 

The air hung heavily between the eight, no one dared to speak nor even breathe, just as to not disturb the hanging tension, afraid it would burst any moment and drown each other in a myriad of cries, defends, and objections. A blood in the water for the sharks lurking around, waiting for the dam to finally break and launch an attack.

“... I wanted to eat that Maron tart, too.. And-” 

_ “You know…” _

“... I prefer honey over sugar in my tea.” Ace’s heart dropped. He had heard this confession multiple times, both from Che’nya and Trey, but… never from Riddle himself. Did Riddle say this himself to Trey?

_ “He doesn’t actually mind the roses being white….” _

“...or the flamingos being pink…” Is he saying the exact same thing as Trey-senpai did back then?

_ “He actually likes....” _

“.... milk tea compared to lemon tea…” Ace is getting a headache. This is all too much to process, his brain decides. 

_ “All that he wants is just….” _

“... All I want is a friend to play with! Someone who could look at me in the eye and not decide how much I should be eating, or how I should behave in front of people, or how I should be able to recite rules from the top of my head!!!!” The same agonizing scream from the battle rang again in Ace’s ear - now framed by slowly drizzling tears, gradually building up to a stream - but this time more condensed. He could hear Riddle clearly now - his voice no longer lost to the winds. 

_ “If you knew that much, you should’ve talked with him, tell him that it’s okay to break a few rules.” Ace placed the plate in a drying rack, now fully meeting Trey’s eyes, hoping that his message is conveyed clearly to his upperclassman.  _

_ Trey’s chocolate eyes were met with the exact same fiery gaze he knew Riddle once had, the one time he was really, truly happy: That day when he sneaked out and ate his first strawberry tart. He sighed.  _

_ “I suppose there is some truth in your words….” His eyes moved over to the non-existent pile of dishes to wash. Did he already go through the stack? Ah well, good thing, I guess. “We’re finished, by the way, you’re free to return to your room. I need to bake a tart for Riddle.”  _

_ Ace nodded, wiping his hands on the rag cloth and making his way out, but not before giving him a fair warning. “Senpai, please remember what I said. This is not only for our - Heartslabyul’s - sake, but also for Riddle-senpai as well.”  _

_ Nodding slowly, Trey worked on making the tart shell. “I’ll see what I can do.”  _

* * *

Ace sighed, his head slumping down. 

“I- I wanted to… play more with you, Trey.” The streams had now flowed over, dripping onto the ground and wetting the soil. A hand raised up, trying to wipe off the tears that had started to collect in larger flows. Cater stepped back a little, and so did everyone. 

“No-No way, Riddle is crying-”

“Well he is still human after all-” Yuu started but was cut off by Ace. 

“Oi, don’t think I’ve forgiven you just because you’ve shed a few tears.” Deuce’s elbow nudged at Ace’s side, and yet he stayed unyielding. 

“Read the room, idiot!” 

Trey shook his head, “No, Ace is right, and this is my fault too,” Riddle promptly raised his head at Trey, him avoiding to even glance at Riddle. “I knew what you were being subjected to, I knew what you did was wrong, and yet I never said anything. I made this happen.” 

The red-head said nothing, and only sobs after sobs were produced from his mouth as Trey once again placed his hand on Riddle’s head, slowly patting him. “This is why I’ll say this right here, right now. You were wrong, Riddle, and you need to apologize to everyone here.” 

Reduced to nothing but sobs, Riddle slowly laid his head on the ground, an imitation of a bow, and kept on sobbing out numerous apologies. 

Ace rubbed at the back of his neck, his mind split in half. On one side, he really does wanna accept the apology from Riddle, it seems genuine, and it does seem like he regrets everything he does. But on the other hand….

“I still cannot accept a mere apology for everything that you’ve done, dorm leader.” 

“Ace!” 

“The things you’ve done are horrible, there’s no questioning that. Forcing labor onto us, forcing ideals that we don’t necessarily agree with, abuse of power, I could go on and on, but you get the idea. I can’t just let all that slip away because of one single teary-eyed apology - if that were the case I’m sure we wouldn’t even have half as many criminals as we do now.” 

“N-No way, so what should I do?!” 

Ace sighed. The other members of the party looked on with little hope in their eyes, knowing that Ace will probably not let Riddle off the hook without a small revenge party. 

“My birthday’s still in quite a bit.” 

“Eh?” The whole group looked at Ace in slight confusion.

“That’s why, let’s redo the Unbirthday Party, we were even kicked out of this one, and bring a tart on your own! Oh and no asking Trey-senpai for help either!!” The group looked on with blank faces. 

“This guy is even pettier than me.” Grim commented as Ace continued rambling his requests. “And that’s saying a lot.” 

Ace cleared his throat. “Point is, whatever you do, it’s fine to let yourself loose once in a while, otherwise all that pent up energy becomes,” his finger gestured to their surroundings. “-this.” 

“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Riddle was still bent over, and Yuu reached out to pet him from his back, rocking him slightly to try to provide the least amount of comfort. 

“Ah uhm- there, there….?” 

Cater let out a sheepish laugh, "Yuu-chan, Riddle-kun is not a baby.” 

The whole group laughed, including Riddle, and Ace wonders how long has it been since he laughed so carefreely? Has he ever experienced it? Some questions, he thinks, are best to be left unanswered. Though one question does linger around his brain. How does Yuu even know which elements are Riddle’s weaknesses?

Questions such as that floated around as Ace laid about on his bed, finally feeling the catharsis of his bones popping and his muscles finally being able to fully relax. He feels his magical pen beside him, and his hands pick it up, bringing it into his vision. 

The gem glinted in the dark.

He had almost managed to reset the timeline once again, in the middle of the battlefield. He was one step away from casting the spell, just one last release and he would be back in that coffin, reliving the same all over again. It would make the most sense for his chances, it would have, but… 

Why does it feel so… exciting? He hadn’t felt like this before the two residents of Ramshackle Dorm arrived, and having an unknown variable feels so… so… exciting? Hopeful? It was like a full dose of adrenaline was injected into his bloodstream, and he feels like he could continue on with the timeline, not just drabbing about, waiting for  _ something  _ to happen. 

He knows it’s selfish. But… he’ll be fine-  _ they’ll  _ be fine. He has a feeling that both Yuu and Grim are the key to this timeline’s success. 

And of course, they have him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "i can only write seriously in flashbacks"  
> -emil 2020


	4. Gut Feeling

Harsh wind blew from Ace’s side, almost knocking him off as his feet brought him to a set of dilapidated doors. 

He was here for one reason - though that reason may fully change the course of his actions moving forward. Something - or rather, someone who might as well be the key to Ace’s success in this one timeline. Ace could feel his hands clenching around his sweaty palms. 

Nervous wasn’t exactly the word that he was feeling. _Giddy._ His feet bounced to an unsung and unheard rhythm, swaying his whole body to and fro while his hands continued to clench and unclench itself. His brain felt like overloading from the massive amounts of endorphins being pumped into it.

This situation was really just an anomaly in his eyes. Two unknown students, wandering into this timeline, wrecking havoc here and there, completely upending every single thing Ace had worked for, and completely disregarding everything in their way. He should be mad. He technically is mad, but the show they had made during Riddle’s battle gave him a small creak in the tightly-bound window of hope, the small bit of sunlight giving way to rekindling and stoking an old fire of determination. 

And so here he was, standing before the - once - mighty doors of the Ramshackle Dorm, his head filled with questions that he hoped to The Great Seven Yuu had answers to. (Though, he’s pretty sure that what will be greeting him is not someone who has answers, but instead someone with an innocent puppy face, cocking their head to the side and looking generally lost at everything they or someone else does. He hopes that he is wrong, just this once.)

Three knocks sounded, and three minutes passed since. 

Leather tapped against gravel, the crunching sound akin to the sound you would associate with fall, the cool, gentle breeze brushing against your cheek and freezing it slightly, not enough to make you flinch, but has enough bite to make you at least shiver, not the warm, slightly imposing winds signalling the coming of rain in spring. A drop of water landed on his cheek, before another, and another, and soon came the downpour. 

Ace was not amused at the very least. 

_Goddamn this timeline, really._ He cursed as he balled his fist, preparing to really bust the door open when a cartoonish face appeared from beyond the closed doors. 

“Heya Heartslabyulie!” A jump, a shriek, and a fall proceeded right as the ghost appeared from the rotten carvings of the door. 

“GYAAAAAAA-! Whatthefuckwhatisthatwhyisthereaghostwhatwhathappenedowmybutt-” Ace coughed, trying his best to ignore the very indignant shriek that had just been produced from his mouth. (You make new discoveries everyday, he thinks, he would never have assumed that he could reach notes that high.) He instead picks himself up, dusting off his black pants and trying to ignore his soaking uniform and hair. Right as he was standing up, though, another showed up, just at his heels, laughing loudly with the previous ghost. 

“What an extremely good reaction!” 

“We should try scaring you more often, where is your dorm room, we might pay a visit later!” Ace shot them a dirty look, his hands now itching with another kind of need, something more violent compared to the previous giddy and elated vibes coursing through his veins. Thankfully, before he could even so much as to lift a finger, another ghost appeared, this time showing his full ghostly figure before Ace. 

“Cut it out guys,” He turned towards Ace. “I’m guessing you’re here for Yuu?” The red-head sighed. At least there were a few ghosts with decency. His hand goes back to scratch at the back of his head - a habit he has found to be a little comforting at times like this. The rain continued to drip against his skin, and he desperately hoped that this small thing wouldn’t cause any further hitches in his plan. 

“Yeah, are they inside?” The other two ghosts nodded. 

“Mhm, and in a perfect timing too, they just woke up.” The three ghosts disappeared into the dorm, shortly followed by slightly heavy footsteps heading towards the door. Ace wished he had asked the ghosts to also bring him a towel, since he was obviously dripping wet and he wouldn’t want to actually dirty the whole dorm - he at least, had the decency to know that. 

The door creaked, and oh was Ace glad to see Yuu’s face, fully dressed in their uniform, fresh towels hanging on their arm. 

Ace didn’t even care about decency at the moment and immediately dashed inside the dorm, snatching the towels and muttering a few ‘thank you’s’ to the grinning Yuu. 

“Well if it isn’t the drenched Ace Trappola.” A glare from Ace did nothing to shut them up. “What do you need from me this time?” Ace held his palm up, asking them to wait the fuck up I’m not done yet, and thankfully, Yuu complied, heading further into the dorm to do… something. 

Shivers went down through his whole body, the droplets of water hanging onto his skin now starting to get cold, effectively cooling his body temperature down by a good few degrees. He let out a small ‘tsk’, he was going to have to return back to Heartslabyul to fetch another set of uniform lest he waddle around the school in wet fabric. Soft linen hit the solid, glistening gem of his magic pen. Staring at it for a while, a small spell came into his mind. He picks the pen up, twirling it around as a small wind current was procured, growing steadily larger and tingling his fingers, his arms, and finally his whole body. 

A warm current came up from below him, blowing upwards and bringing the small droplets that stuck to his skin upwards and sending his uniform flying slightly, drying it in record time along with his hair. 

_Huh, I guess paying attention in class does actually pay off._ He slipped the magical pen into his pocket as he made his way towards the foyer/living room of the dorm. Yuu was lounging on the couch, in their hands a cup of what looked like black tea, looking incredibly in peace, their eyes shut. Ace felt as if he was looking at a still life painting despite having practically dust and cobwebs stringing around them.

He would’ve loved to stay longer, take a longer and much more in depth look at the view, but he reminds himself he was here for a reason, and that reason has presented themselves right in front of Ace’s eyes, peacefully sipping tea out of a - surprisingly still intact - cup. 

A plop sounded out as Ace took his seat beside Yuu, sending dust particles flying everywhere around him, tickling his throat and coercing a cough to sound out. He could hear Yuu let out a little stifled chuckle, but he let it slide, just for this once. 

Eyes laid on the porcelain pot laid on the table, accompanied by a cup, identical to the one Yuu was holding. They darted across to the brunette, and a game of glance and guess the interpretation started between the two, before the brunette’s eyes landed on the cup. Ace nodded, his hands reaching out to pour himself a cup of tea. 

A moment of silence was exchanged between the two students, simply basking in the scent of the fruity and floral notes from the tea and have the rain be a backdrop white noise oozing it’s way into their moment of serenity, not loud enough to drown their ears in the noise, but loud enough to mask any other noises made either inside or outside said room. 

“So? What was so urgent that you had to come running over to Ramshackle Dorm and sacrificing your sweet, sweet styled hair and prim uniform at exactly...” They took a glance at the surprisingly functioning clock, “5 AM?” Ace put down the cup back on its saucer. 

They were in no shortage of time in any way - the first bell of the day is due to ring in at least a good two hours and a half away - but Ace prefers to cut to the chase. (A part of him also thinks that Yuu also might hate beating around the bush.) 

“How did you know exactly which element to fight with?” 

“Oh.” 

Silence follows the short declaration. 

Ace kept his eyes trained on Yuu, looking out for any reactions coming out of them. Yuu might present themselves as this innocent, “I-know-nothing” bystander accidentally stepping into their world, but who knows what lies beneath his facade of innocence. Their hand raised up, scratching the back of their head. 

“To be completely honest with you,” they placed the cup gently back on the saucer, looking at Ace. “I don’t know how to explain it.” 

“Then start somewhere.” 

Yuu’s eyes rolled so hard, Ace was sure they had given themselves a whiplash. “Gee, why didn’t I think of that?” A glare was shot their way, and a laugh bubbled from their throat. They shook their head before the smile slowly lowered into a frown. 

“I wouldn’t say it’s a gut feeling-”

“Gotta be a terrifyingly accurate gut feeling.”

Yuu nodded, “You’re not the only one who thinks so, but there’s just no other way to describe it.” Ace looked over at Yuu, his brain wracking up how in the seven lands does this quote-unquote ability function.

“How does it even work?” The other student cocked their head, their brows furrowing further as the question reached their ears. 

“Honestly, I don’t exactly know,” Ace sighed, his hands fidgeting around as his feet bounced restlessly. He was getting tired of not getting answers. “-but all I know is that from two attacks, I can only precisely know one. The other, I have to take a wild guess.”

Another bout of silence enveloped the two students, both teetering around the edges of a delicate topic, testing the waters by dipping their feet in. Ace sighed, for the nth time today, his hands going to bring the cup of black tea back to his mouth. 

“... That’s just plain weird.” Yuu joined in the sighing fest, refilling their own cup of black tea. 

“No shit, Sherlock. I was transported out to who knows where, into a school filled with mages and suddenly I find out I’m half psychic, if that isn’t weird I don’t know what is!” A scoff followed soon after, and that too, was followed by an incredibly shit eating grin. Ace gulped, that face never signalled anything good for him. 

“But well, you could say I’m now clairvo-Yuu-ant-” 

A groan from Ace, “No.” 

Yuu puffed out their cheeks, fully taking offense at Ace’s rejection of their _brilliant_ pun, pouting as they stirred the dark yellow liquid and avoiding Ace’s eyes. 

“Aww c’mon, you don’t like puns?? No fun~” 

Another sip of the black tea helped to calm the incoming headache, but not enough to fully stop it from going full on and invade his brain space. Fingers moved to rub at the creased skin on Ace’s temples, a sigh following and making its way through his throat. 

“Look, since you’re…. I don’t know, half psychic or some shit, just… make sure we don’t die.” 

“In case you really haven’t noticed, I also do _not_ want to die.” Ace sighed.

In some cases, Ace was grateful for Yuu’s natural talent in lightening up the group’s sour moods and their bluntness in basically anything they do, instantly bringing everyone closer with bouts after bouts of laughter, caused by a single joke or something coming out of their mouth. But in this case, they had chosen the absolute worst time to joke about the subject. Maroon eyes glared at brown ones, silently sending the message. 

“I’m being serious right here, Yuu.” Ace could see their features hardening at the words, them taking a tentative sip from their cup. 

“I know.” The furrowed brows relaxed, their eyes softening as they scooted closer over to Ace, hand hovering over Ace’s back before rubbing out soothing circles on his back. “Don’t worry, I promise to keep you guys safe.” 

It had been a while since Ace had such reassurance. He peered at Yuu, and for a moment he thought he had seen a part of himself - a version of him who was so much more naive, someone who had just experienced just the first part of the timeline, someone who had just figured out how things worked, with hope still glimmering in their eyes. 

He envied such innocent hope, he wishes he still had at least a piece of it left, but Ace knows that it is simply impossible to hope for such an outlook. All said innocence had been rounded up into a crude ball, thrown up in the air and smashed with a bat that he himself holds, leaving behind only bitter reluctance and senseless desperation. Another sigh emitted from his throat, him raising up his head, wanting to thank the other. 

He only managed to open his mouth before footsteps interrupted their small, peaceful moment. 

“Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!” 

Ace could feel both him and Yuu nearly jump out of their own skins from the shrill voice, two heads whipping towards the grey furball quickly descending down the stairs. Both pairs of eyes watched with bated breath as Grim finally arrived at the ground floor without actually causing any of the wooden floorboards to fall in on itself. 

“W-What?? Did something happen?? Did the ghosts ransack my closet again??” Grim hopped into Yuu’s lap, his small paws immediately wrapping around the little area of Yuu’s front stomach, him crying out loud. 

“It’s terrible, Yuu!!!” Grim nuzzled himself further into Yuu’s body, to which the student rightfully responded with a slightly confused pat to his back. Ace scratched his head, what could possibly bring The Great Grim down here, running and yelling for Yuu as if they were his mother? 

Grim then let go of Yuu’s torso, wiping away at his practically nonexistent tears. “It’s a terrible crime, Yuu. I’m hungry…”

A shared look between the two humans and a collective sigh of relief brought them both slumped on the sofa, utterly defeated after the sudden rush of adrenaline this early in the morning. 

“Oh.”

“Your cat is a nuisance to life itself.” The two statements came out simultaneously, both students immediately meeting each other’s eyes as they ignored the pointed ‘hey!’ from Grim. A smile broke out before laughter bubbled up from the two, leaving Grim pouting, sitting between them. 

“Said the guy who is more of a nuisance than I am!!” Yelled the furball, and the laughter immediately halted, Ace standing up from the sofa, his eyes now daggers aimed at the racoon-cat hybrid. 

“Why you-” 

“Oooookay! Let’s refrain from doing anything that could possibly cause us to be expelled, okay?” They picked Grim up, placing him on their lap and petting Grim, hearing him immediately purr and his noisy arguments fly with the wind. 

“I can whip up some toast and eggs, I just so happened to have leftover ingredients back from our maron tart excursion.” Ace’s face scrunched up as the word maron tart was uttered, and even Grim raised his head, his small body shivering. 

“I will never look at a maron tart the same way ever again.” 

Yuu just let out a small chuckle, turning their head over to Ace, “You haven’t had any breakfast yet, right?” Ace just gave a small shrug, pocketing both his hands. 

“Eh, I should be heading back anyways.” A glance at the clock indicated to him that the first bell was still a good hour away, and he wanted to use that time to the fullest. Though, the prospect of runny, sunny side up eggs against the fluffiness of the toast is simply too hard to deny, especially with Ace’s lack of breakfast. Yuu proceeded to stand up, Grim jumping onto the somewhat decent-looking coffee table. 

“Ehh~ come on~ just stay for a while. It won’t even take that long.” Grim gave an affirming nod. 

“Yeah Ace! Think of the free food!” He chimed in, though Ace supposes it was more directed to himself, as anyone in the vicinity could clearly see the drool practically dripping out of his jaw. 

“Nah, Deuce is probably-” 

A knock interrupted Ace’s sentence, followed by a telltale creak of the door opening, the fresh breeze of the morning blowing inside as the door was opened to its full capacity. And with the breeze, the refreshing smell of petrichor made its way inside the dingy dorm and hitting Ace’s nostrils, giving him a momentary sense of relief of not having to smell literal dust every single time he breathed. 

Several footsteps followed suit, “Sorry for intruding…” 

Ace wanted to laugh, how much more is fate going to play with them? (with _him,_ his mind supplies.) He decided to brush it off, flashing the blue-haired-boy a smile as his head peeked out from the corner of the hallway. 

“Ah, there you are,” he finally showed his full body, straightening his posture and fixing the blazer, straightening it out. His fingers grazed over his tie, eventually gripping and loosening it a little. His hand raised up to brush up the small portion of bangs he had, giving Ace and Yuu a small glimpse of his smooth, porcelain skin. “I’ve been looking all over for you since this morning! I really thought you got your head chopped off again…” 

His blazer wasn’t buttoned, revealing the likewise undone red vest and equally revealing the messy white dress-shirt beneath, completely unbuttoned and wrinkled, no doubt because of his journey over to the Ramshackle Dorm. Ace gulped, trying his best to avert his eyes from the sliver of skin showing itself. 

“H-Haa??! What do you take me for?” A small thought came into his head, his face immediately morphing into one that Deuce wishes he could wipe off of his face. “Why? Were you worried about me? Is that why you came running here? Aw, I'm flattered~” Grim scrunched up his face in slight disgust at Ace’s taunts. 

“This guy’s face is making me almost lose my appetite,” Grim quipped, quietly grooming himself on the table. Yuu gave a similar blank, unimpressed expression as they made their way to the kitchen, deeming the situation not worth the amount he was paid for. Which was essentially nothing. 

Deuce, in the meanwhile, had completely turned red, shaking his hands furiously, desperately trying to deny all Ace’s previous accusations. “No! That’s not-!” Deuce stomped his feet in annoyance over the whole situation, his cheeks puffing up as he turned and made his way towards the door, his hands latching onto Ace’s. “Shut up! Come on, let’s just get back!” 

“Eh~ but I was gonna get breakfast first!”

“Ah right, Deuce-chan, why don’t you join us for breakfast?” Yuu called out from the kitchen. Deuce turned on his heels at the nickname, his pout staying - Ace would even say it has multiplied a little. He really wanted to pinch those mochi-looking-cheeks. 

“Not you too, Yuu. First it was Diamond-senpai and now you too…” Deuce made his way over to the border between the kitchen and the foyer, Ace still holding hands with him, either consciously or not. He chose to bask in the sensation, because let’s be honest the past few days have been very taxing and a small grip or squeeze from the hand holding his is enough to pump up at least a decade’s worth of life back into him. 

Ace could hear laughing from the kitchen, “Sorry Deuce, it’s just too cute to ignore~ I’m making eggs by the way.” 

At the sheer mention of eggs, Deuce’s eyes had this switch that filled his eyes with sparkles as he stared at the plates of toast Yuu had set up, even though he was visibly trying to hold back his excitement. He let go of Ace’s hand, bringing it up to his chin. 

“Do you need help with anything?” And at that, Ace had to try to stifle a laugh. 

It wasn’t that Deuce was a bad cook, on the contrary, he was an okay cook, as evident from the numerous timelines when he spent meticulously planning meals for their outings together. But what Ace can also gather from said timelines, is that more often than not, he ends up being useless in the kitchen, sometimes even going so far to cause more trouble thanks to his easily-flustered nature. 

Grim hopped up onto the island of the kitchen, “Nn? Why is your face so red?” Ace had to try his best to not let a laugh out. 

“N-nothing!” Yuu took a small glance at Ace, cocking their eyebrows, and a wave was all the reply they got. If they noticed anything strange, they thankfully didn’t comment on it. 

“It’s fine, just sit there and wait for me, it shouldn’t take too long.” The three other occupants of the room took their seats around the dining table, with an exception for Grim who immediately jumped up to a windowsill and opened said window, letting in the fresh scent of petrichor wash over the whole area.

For a creature that claims that he is not a cat, Grim sure does act like one, perching himself on the open wooden frame, basking in the small amount of sun they had at this hour. 

Looking out, Ace could see traces of the edges of a lush, green forest, his eyes trailing on that specific part of the horizon.

* * *

_The woods surrounding the outer perimeter of the school looked really tempting to Ace._

_He needed a break. A huge, large break, one where he doesn’t have to lift a finger to do absolutely anything at all. Because who knew that fucking around, trying to find out the flaws in all his plans was a huge drainage to his own self?_

_The soft duvet beneath him made a good landing patch for his flopping body. He swung his legs around, arms grasping at a nearby chick doll he had won for Deuce a while back in the arcade. Speaking of which…._

_Ace picked himself up, scooting over to Deuce, sitting on the edge most part of his bed, a book in his hand. A small peek helped Ace figure out what he was reading - a classic tragedy novel about two soulmates who were set to die before they even started to kindle a relationship. Ace scratched his head._

_“I didn’t know you liked tragedies?” Deuce’s eyes snapped towards Ace, whose head was now practically resting on his shoulder. He didn’t know if it was because he had pulled such tricks so often or if he had already gotten used to it, but Ace watched as Deuce’s face stayed neutral, a small smirk forming at the corner of his lips._

_“Ah someone from the class recommended this, thought I would check it out.” Ace could see his eyes droop a little, the gaze dropping to the book. “It’s a little sad though, forced into a cruel system where you find out who your soulmate is and the exact moment that you die on the same day. It’s just a tad bit too sad, don’t you think? They were mashed together at such a short amount of time before being practically ripped apart from each other, no chance whatsoever to really, you know, establish a good connection. It’s such a shame, the main characters have so much character development already and it would’ve been nice to see where they would end up in the future.”_

_Ace stared at Deuce as he finished his review of said book, his eyes still trailed on the cover of the book. Silence followed before he opened his mouth, scooting away from Deuce._

_“You impostor! What have you done to my dumbass, chick-loving boyfriend?!” A pillow to his face was the only reply Ace got._

_“Jeez, why are you in my room anyways?”_

_Ace once again plopped onto the bed, this time landing exactly on Deuce’s soft pillow, nuzzling deeper into it, inhaling the quote unquote special shampoo and serum he used to make his hair so shiny and smooth and soft. There was also the fact that it had such a good smell to it, not like his own, much sweeter and floral, but muskier and has a hint of.... Is that mint?_

_“Ahhhhh~ just let me be!” his legs kicked at Deuce’s side, earning him a small “Brat...” from him._

_“What did you say?”_

_“I said nothing.” And with that, Ace plopped back down on the pillow._

_Minutes passed by without much happening, amidst all that Deuce’s head had somehow found its way onto Ace’s lap while the latter slowly combed through his hair. A groan sounded from the red-head._

_“I’m so boreddddd…..”_

_Without a second thought, Deuce procured an answer, “Is that so…?” Ace nodded, his head leaning down to Deuce’s head, their foreheads touching against each other._

_Playing the waiting game has got to be the most excruciating part of the whole timeline resetting thing, just waiting and hoping for something to happen just because of the tiniest bit of detail he either overlooked or cared for with meticulous detail. The downside to that is that the downtime between each event has been spent with increasing boredom as the timeline continues. He wishes desperately that some random opportunity will come to present itself to him._

_A knock sounded._

_Both boys sat up straight. A gruff voice called out to Deuce from beyond the door._

_“Deuce, you in there?”_

_Thank the Great Seven for Jack Howl. Ace hopped up from the bed, hoping to not seem too desperate for other sources of entertainment than simply sitting around with his boyfriend. The door opened cleanly, the creak that had been there last week now completely gone, and he was met with a tall, buff guy with two twitching wolf-ears. He could see his tail wagging slightly._

_Ace could feel his heartbeat rising from the sheer glance of the man's white fur, his brain keeping on reminding him of that one moment where he could see dozens after dozens of arrows piercing through his body. He gulped, putting on his best smile._

_“Yo, what’s up?”_

_“Oh, Ace, Perfect! Epel got a box of snacks from his hometown and we’re planning to have a picnic!” At the mere mention of the picnic, Jack’s tail wagged harder, Deuce looked up from his bed, and Ace’s eyes sparkled._

_“That sounds good!”_

_“Hell yes! I’m dying of boredom here, c’mon let’s go!!!! Ace grabbed at Deuce’s hand, not even letting him slip a bookmark inside the book and already starting to drag him out the dorm room. Jack laughed heartily, leading them out of the hallways of Heartslabyul and heading towards the forest._

_Ace had heard about the famed farm Epel was from, their apples were ranked as one of the best and always had such a sweet and tart flavor to them. Restaurants and bakeries often flocked to them for supplies, desperate to get even the slightest portion of their harvests. He himself had once travelled with his brother all the way to the Village Of Harvest and had a taste of their apple pies, and in that single moment he had thought he’d ascended to nirvana._

_Arriving at the small clearing in the forest, Ace could see Epel and Sebek sitting on a spread out soft, lavender blanket - most likely Vil’s - and lounging under the shade of a significantly large tree - also most likely Vil’s demands. The lavender haired boy noticed the three boys approaching, and beamed._

_“Hi guys! Come on over, sit!” He patted the several empty spaces not covered by towers after towers of snacks and desserts. Ace could already see a large apple pie sitting in the center of it all, surrounded by a small cup full of apple bon bons, a handful of salt-water taffies, and candied apples jutting out from inside the straw basket._

_Sebek was already biting into an apple pie, the jam from the filling smearing against the corner of his lips. He flashed a grin to the three, and Ace’s eyes squinted from just how bright the smile is._

_“There’s apple pie!!”_

_Deuce sat down, cross legged on the blanket as he lightly slapped Sebek’s thigh, “Oi Sebek don’t talk with your mouth full, you’re gonna choke, and you have-” Deuce looked over to the others, them trying to stifle their laughter. “-why are you laughing?”_

_“O-oh, it’s nothing.” Epel giggled before turning around, his shoulders raised up to his ears, shaking profusely. Jack was in a similar state, his cheeks puffed up as his beast-like ears twitched, “It-It’s just- what you said just now..”_

_Ace was full on laughing at this point, almost doubling over as he did, “You sound like a parent scolding their kiddo!!” Deuce sent Ace a glare that did absolutely nothing but gave way to Ace laughing even more._

_“It’s true! Lilia-sama also used to tell me how ‘fatherly’ you act!” Sebek took a serviette from inside the basket, trying his best to stifle a chuckle. “Now that I’ve seen it in person, you are like a second parent.”_

_“Although you are…” Jack’s finger pointed towards and around him. “....You know, you.”_

_Ace opened his mouth, “He meant that you’re a crybaby airhead-”_

_“I AM NOT, SHUT UP!” Deuce went ahead and took a slice of apple pie for himself, his cheeks puffing up like how they would usually if he were mad. “I can’t help it, I’ve been living with my mum for so long I’ve picked her habits up and its- ohmygod the pie’s so good-” He cut himself off by stuffing more of the pie into his mouth, and Ace swooned on his feet._

_That exact face is the reason why he has fallen so damn hard for this man, and seriously, the moe gap of this guy is just through the roofs!!!_

_Ace went ahead and pinched his cheeks, his other hand going to pop a taffy in his mouth. The sweet, creamy taste of the taffy hit his taste buds, and his eyes lit up. The saltiness of said taffy wasn’t too overpowering, and it helped bring out the more subtle notes of the candy, the slight fragrance of apples, the sweetness of the butter, oh and is that cream? The more that he chewed on it, the more that the flavors come out to hit on his taste buds._

_He turned his eyes back to Deuce. He was practically melting onto the blanket, his face the epitome of pure ecstasy and bliss._

_“Hah… now you’re acting cute after getting mad, how adorable~” Ace pinched Deuce’s cheek once more, but it seems like he was so blissed out that he could only focus on the pie alone, “Is it really that good?” That took Deuce out of his trance, and he snapped his head to Ace._

_“I’m being serious! It’s soooooo good!!!”_

_“Oh~?” He shot a glance at Deuce, and closed the distance between the two. Deuce stared at him, fully expecting Ace to steal a kiss from him, but Ace ducked his head at the last moment,_

_And stole a piece of Deuce’s apple pie._

_His eyes widened,_ **_sparkled,_** _as the taste hit his tongue. The crisp yet buttery and slightly salty crust of the pie, contrasted with the sweetness and tartness from the apples. It wasn't too sweet though, Ace could taste a hint of lemon and something along the lines of… Is that ginger cutting through the natural sweetness of the apples and the sugar itself? Oh Ace could understand now why Deuce had completely blissed out while eating this._

_It's a damn masterpiece._

_"O-oh this is so good, you're right."_

_He registered Deuce slapping his shoulders and saying something about how he should've taken his own slice, but at the moment he really didn't care much. That pie was a damn bomb of flavors in his mouth and damn Deuce if he were to get in between him and the pie._

_He dove in for another bite, but Deuce's hand held his face as he moved the pie away from Ace._

_"Jerkass! Get your own slice!"_

_"Ehhhhhh? Why so stingy?? Lemme take another bite!!! Yours is closer anyways~"_

_"It's only a feet away from you! Take it for yourself, there's still at least six more slices!"_

_The bickering continued as Jack, Epel, and Sebek popped several pieces of popcorn bread into their mouths, fully enjoying the viewing of the two lovebirds in front of them._

_"Are they always like this?" He asked, eyes not once peeling off the two._

_"All the time," The two others answered monotonously, still munching on the crunchy bread._

_"Don't you just feel like they're the Romeo and Mercutio of this whole school and we're just the people of Verona?" Epel commented as Sebek nodded._

_"I don't even know who those people are but I agreed," Jack nodded._

_"Truly," Simultaneously, the three answered._

_More and more insults were thrown the more that time passed and Sebek shook his head in both disappointment and confusion._

_"Humans are so weird."_

_"Trust me, it's only them and them alone," Jack quipped. A small piece of candy immediately flew past them, a shot from Deuce._

_"Alright, old married couple! Stop the bickering before someone gets injured and enjoy the picnic Epel set up!"_

_"WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN OLD MARRIED COUPLE?" The pair yelled at the same time, igniting a large bout of laughter from the trio._

_"Sure~"_

_Afternoon bled into evening, and Ace found himself flopping on the blanket, his stomach full beyond comprehension. He couldn't remember the last time he was this content, his mind drifting off to sleep as his head laid on Deuce's lap._

_He wishes that the moment would last forever._

_Little does he know that if you wish hard enough, you will get what you wish for._

* * *

Ace walked through the hallways leading towards his class, Deuce, Yuu and Grim behind him. Humming as he crossed his arms behind his head, he remembered Jack Howl. 

_Ah right, we were pretty close to him… I wonder if we could still-_

A harsh bump on his shoulder brought his train of thoughts to a halt. He raised his head, and was immediately met with the same tuft of white fur he had seen that day. 

_Oh well if it isn't lady fate, bringing all of us together._

"Oh, sorry, here, lemme help you up." 

"Nah it's cool man. Thanks." 

Jack simply nodded before going past Yuu, Deuce and Grim, not sparing them even a slight glance. 

It was funny, Ace thought. Before, in the other timelines, Jack would've greeted Deuce and Ace with so much fervor and familiarity, his tail wagging in clear daylight, but in this one, they were as good as strangers, despite Ace having already known who they were inside, what their interests were, or what they stood for. 

_He knew them like the back of his hand, but they couldn't even spare a glance at him._

"Ace, you okay??" Ace just nodded to Deuce's question, him brushing off his blazer and pants. "C'mon we gotta go or else we're gonna be late." 

"Hn? Did you know the guy just now?" Grim asked as he perched stop Yuu's head. 

"Someone you know? Your friend, perhaps?" Yuu quipped in as well. 

Ace merely shook his head, his hands returning to their default position, crossed behind his back. He couldn't get that nagging thought out of his head.

".... Nah." The word tasted acerbic on his tongue. "Just in passing. I just happened to know his name and class. He bumped into me." The two let out a small 'oh' in reply.

_He doesn't like this weird feeling._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ace after getting hit by a pillow: Ehe  
> Deuce: EHE TE NANDAYO?!?! 
> 
> In case you're confused, the nickname Heartslabyulie is just Heartslabyul + Bully
> 
> \---------
> 
> Hewwo guys we hope you liked this chapter also a small clarification: the book Deuce is reading is an actual book titled "They Both Die At The End" by Adam Silvera, it's a very good book and I recommend you guys to check it out! 
> 
> romeo and mercutio are obviously from Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, mercutio, if you forgot is a close friend to romeo and if you have the chance to read the original script you might know how much gay tension those two have :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading as always and look forward to the next chapter! -emil


	5. Your Fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ace reveals his plans to the only ones he could tell them to, and Yuu takes a shot at being a counselor. 
> 
> please enjoy! 
> 
> (also emil's note: i wrote this while listening to unkenrufe by ibi and their experience (einaudi) cover! if you'd like to feel what's it like to be in Ace's brain during the whole chapter, feel free to listen to those two!)

It’s like being submerged underwater. Anything and everything feels so muddled yet the sounds ring loudly inside his head.

A finger slowly traced the edges of the porcelain cup. Amber eyes stayed open but were unseeing at the vague mismash of colors laid in front of them. A sip from the tea only served to further the trance as ears twitched, registering only the slightest hint of noise through the haze. 

It’s so close, yet so far away - his body feels cold while he could hear the ringing inside his head, as if someone was ringing a bell in a 5-second-interval inside his brain. A sweet, clear and crisp sound at first- an enjoyable, sweet little chime, but with each ring, with each repetition of that same frequency and tone, the duller that it grew to be. That same obnoxious note echoing and vibrating all throughout his body, sending with them small tremors across their journey through Ace’s body. 

Jolts after jolts of pain blossomed from his temple, joining the numerous miniscule tremors already making their way towards his spine, straightening it. 

Ace blinked. The headache persisted and a groan followed. 

Sitting on the worn-down couch inside Ramshackle Dorm with two balls of energy running around in circles in front of him was the exact opposite of help in Ace’s current dictionary. In fact, he could say with certainty the only help they have achieved is help the headache plant its root even deeper into his brain. 

“Get back here, Grim!” Yuu yelled, hair dryer in hand. Ace couldn’t possibly comprehend how exactly they manage to gather this much energy at this hour of the morning, nor could he really come to understand much about the teen in general. 

“YOU’RE NOT TOUCHING AN OUNCE OF MY FUR WITH A GUN IN YOUR HAND!” 

“IT’S CALLED A HAIRDRYER YOU RACOON-” Yuu dived to the floor, hoping to catch the speedy furball, but the feline leapt before they could do anything, and all Yuu caught was only a layer of dust.

“NO.” 

With a grunt from a now-standing Yuu, the chase once again was restarted. Amber eyes stay trained at Yuu, a small twitch making its way through as Ace watched the same smile being plastered on throughout the whole ordeal. Hands itched to dig their nails into the very same smile - and mask - and reveal what fleshy secrets lay underneath that layer of glee. 

Ace didn’t know what laid underneath it, and truthfully, he didn’t exactly want to know. But humans are contradictory beings, and the more time that he spent inside this one specific timeline, the more that he wanted - no  _ needed _ answers. 

Moreso now than ever. 

What had conspired in the past forty eight hours could be summarized as utter chaos and a source of a brain-damaging headache. Azul had overblotted, right after Leona, and consequently Ace has found himself once again tossing, turning, and flipping every single pebble inside his brain and memories just to figure out what the actual fuck is going on and where exactly did this timeline go to crap. In other words: Ace plan had just done a full 180, tapped on it’s own heels, and sped back so fast to square one you would think the devil was chasing it. 

The amber liquid inside his cup had been completely deprived down to its last drops, and so had the adrenaline that had run its course throughout Leona’s whole overblot. What had been excitement, giddiness, and genuine hope for the rest of this timeline had been flushed out and replaced with something more akin to an emotional drain, something that more resembles annoyed resignation. 

It was bound to happen sooner or later, he told himself, placing the cup back on the table. In his head, he could accept that fact (in fact, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, it was one of the many things he had forced himself to learn: acceptance and much more recently, silent resignations.), but what Azul’s overblot had brought forward were more questions to which he nor anyone had any answers to. 

‘If so, what was the fault here?’ His eyes wandered over to Yuu. ‘No, it couldn’t possibly be them, because if it were… then-’

Another wave of pain cut that same exact train of thought short as Yuu  _ finally _ caught up to Grim, scooping said feline into their arms, both now completely on the floor. Even without looking, Ace could tell a smirk was front and centre on Yuu’s face, smug satisfaction completely painting their features. 

Their hand raised, bringing the hair dryer closer to Grim’s fur, who was yelling at the top of his lungs, limbs flailing about. A finger pressing at the button, followed by… silence. 

Eyes followed the trail of the electrical cables, and found it lying next to Yuu, unplugged in all its glory. 

“DAMMIT I DIDN’T PLUG IN THE STUPID THING!!” 

Taking this opportunity to slip away, Grim slipped out of Yuu’s arms and jumped up to the coffee table, almost knocking Ace’s teacup off the table.

“Nyahahahaha!!! I'm free!” 

Ace’s hand reached out to grab at it before another incident play out as his other hand grabbed at his pen, casting a wind current and letting Grim float atop it. The pain inside his temple persisted throughout all this, and frankly, the sheer volume of Grim’s voice alone was enough to amplify the pain by at least sixty percent. 

“By the Seven, can you shut up?” With the flick of his wrist, the currents supporting Grim enveloped him and dried his fur off in seconds. He should’ve done this sooner, frankly. 

“There,” he slumped back onto the sofa, letting his head hang over the edge. Grim let out a small growl as soon as the current placed him back. Hands grabbed at the now soft and dried off fur as Grim continued to air his grievances into the atmosphere. 

"Thanks."

A simple nod. Not even an ounce of energy was left in Ace to respond even decently towards the person currently in front of him.

Yuu shrugged, proceeding to refill Ace’s teacup once more, and for a moment, the only sounds you could hear from inside the room was liquid flowing and hitting the teacup, a small clink making its way to Ace’s ears.

In usual circumstances, the white noise itself would serve to at least calm himself down; letting the silvery tone of the tea travel cut through the silence and fill his brain with a calmness that he desperately needed. But this wasn’t like any usual circumstance, and the sound only served to irk him off much further. 

Before he could take any decisive action, though, the sound stopped and Yuu shoved the now lukewarm tea to his face.

“Seeing as you’re still here, I’m assuming you need something.” 

His jaw fell, mouth forming an ‘o’ before closing back and biting his lips, but not even one syllable fell out of those lips. It was as if someone had suddenly blocked one part of his brain and used their fingers to literally tie his tongue, not once even allowing him to spill all his thoughts out. 

_ But he knew, if he did-  _ another jolt of pain.

He sighed, “I just- again, I know that you’re half psychic.” A beat.

“Uhuh, and?” Another beat.

“What, you want me to try to figure out next exam’s questions?” Yuu chuckled as Ace rolled his eyes. He knew he was avoiding the topic himself. His tongue was tied and his voice wouldn’t come out, but the one who brought that on was he himself. The tea wasn't enough - he needed something more to quench his parched throat. 

"H-ha ha-" the laugh that came out was dry. Ace glared at Yuu. "Very funny," Ace sighed as the other raised an eyebrow at him. 

"It's just- I'm just-  _ confused!  _ " 

"What about?"

"How you defeated Azul-senpai! How in the seven seas did you even do that?! I thought we were goners!" 

With the raising of his voice, so it commences: a dynamic duet played between an unwilling participant and the carefree soloist. A duet where neither participants realize that the same exact performance they're having are tightening the strings to its maximum capacity. 

The shrug Yuu sent his way did nothing but to tighten it further. 

"You're not the only one." They plopped on the armchair. "I really had thought I'd crossed paths with death for a second back there-" 

_ A chuckle  _ from Yuu, and yet another log was added to the fireplace that was Ace. Hands balled into fists. Another tug on the string. "-would  _ not _ want to fight another overblot for at least the next year or so." 

Grim made a face, now comfortably perched atop the kitchen island, "or ever." 

Nails dug into the now white palm. The  _ thump, thump, thump  _ of Ace's heartbeat led the quickening duet between the two, the sound almost amplified in the silence, the crazed collaboration building up to it's inevitable climax and stretching the string of sanity to its absolute limits. 

"And…. If you had to fight one again?" Straight white teeth bit into pinkish lips. 

"Well is there any other choice but to fight them?" They plopped onto the couch with an air of nonchalance to the whole situation, as if it wasn't something to be held in high regard about, as if 'fighting' was just as simple of an act as to confront the fellas and bring them back to their senses. Their shoulders raised up in a shrug, eyes not even once meeting Ace's. 

The pace quickened. Words turn into the bows of the fiddles the two players hold in hand. 

"Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" 

_ What's the worst that could happen.  _

_ Oh. You don't know the extent of it.  _

And as the climax arrives and peaks, the final push was made, and the string broke. 

The power play came to a screeching halt, with the second fiddle now taking charge - he was the unwilling participant no more, he was leading this play. 

The back and forth between the two had been snapped and now replaced with something different; Something much, much more gruesome and raw, gnawing at the ears of any passing listener - laughter that was so humorless, so out of place. A jarring sound amidst the tension inside the room - not cutting and relieving it, but instead adding more weight and confusion to it. 

"The worst that could happen?! You're asking  _ me  _ that?!" Another bout of laughter escaped. The façade of the friendly duet between him and the other had unfurled, now turning into a rope that tangles and traps whoever that sets their eyes and ears on it. Grim was one of them, scratching his ears from where he was, perched atop the kitchen island. 

"The hell is up with this guy? Why's he laughing like that? Oi, what's so funny?!" What he got in response was more laughter. 

Ace leant back against the sofa again, his head thrown back, hanging from the edge of the back of the sofa. Damn it all. Damn everything in existence! Everything doesn't matter anymore who in the fuck cares at this point. All be damned if the timeline resets by his own decisions, all be damned! He is going to take matters into his own hands, from now on this performance is under his command. 

_ He _ is the soloist now, and nothing and no one is stopping him. It is high time these blundering fools hear what is on his mind. 

"Oh I'll tell you what could go wrong exactly! I WILL!" 

And with the declaration, Ace planted his flag. His blood boiled, rushing to his brains and pumping him full of adrenaline. 

Who were these people to completely disregard the sheer horrors that came with fighting one's overblot? Who were they to say 'what was the worst that could happen' without ever having to witness what  _ would _ happen if it came to the worst case scenario? Who were these people to completely and utterly destroy almost half of all of Ace's plans with one single sentence? They were nobodies. They were an anomaly in this one timeline, one that shouldn't have ever been here. As special as Yuu is, Ace knew, deep inside his heart that this is all bullcrap and that this timeline was doomed from the start. 

_ He wasn't waiting to see if the timeline resets, he was waiting for  _ **_when_ ** _ the timeline will reset.  _

And he was going to make sure that happens now. 

"Tell me," he slammed his hand on the table. "Have you ever, once, in your entire time of living, thought about what you do, even as a passing thought?!" He could see Yuu's concerned and worried face. (It boiled his blood further,  _ pity _ ? He didn't need that on top of everything else.)

"Is this some sort of game to you?" Laughter echoed across the room, hollow, lifeless, and desperate (for what, he didn't know.) 

The words fell from his mouth, starting to string a convoluted story of how exactly he ended up in this situation. He wasn't going to let even one detail be spared, Ace was baring himself completely open to these strangers that he only had known for what, half a year at most, letting them hear what sorts of gruesome deaths he has had to witness throughout the timelines.

That small nagging voice at the back of his head - his rationale, had been completely drowned by the sheer velocity and power of the crazed show Ace's mind had been putting on. A small part of him registered that this was it: the breaking point at which this timeline  _ will _ reset, but an overwhelming part of his brain - one that was controlling his actions right now - took that thought and threw it as far at it could out of Ace's mind, cursed it to all hell, and proceeded to set everything on fire.

His head pounded as he spoke, hands suddenly becoming very cold despite his warming face and sweat dribbled down his face. His teeth clattered with every syllable he uttered, but he paid not even a single thought to it. Thoughts raced, each one fighting for domination inside the frenzy that was Ace's mind. Memories, headaches and thoughts clashing and melding with one another to form a monstrous word vomit for him to spit out. 

He didn't know when he had started to stand, but he was, and now face to face with Yuu. Facing one another, one could say they both were looking into their exact opposites, a confused and slightly nonchalant Yuu as opposed to the fiery and explosive Ace, one teetering at the edge of a cliff he built for himself whilst the other watched in vain, frankly confused as to why this was happening.

Brown eyes blinked, "W-wait you're losing me here, are you saying that someone died?" Ace laughed, again. Oh how he would kill to regain that sense of naiveness, that numbness that he came to be somewhat familiar with as each timelines droned by. Another set of maniacal laughter brought him plopping onto the sofa, trying to regain control over his breathing. 

"Oh yeah, someone died alright," he raised his body, now sure that his eyes were more crazed than ever. "And that  _ someone _ is roughly half of the student population in this damned school!!!!" 

"FGNA??!!" Grim exclaimed in surprise. "THEY'RE GHOSTS?" Ace really really wished Grim had at least his level of braincells and decency. 

"No, you idiot," Ace sighed. Might as well. "As I've said before, this has happened times and times before, more than I can imagine. In other timelines, of course." 

"T-timelines?" Grim hopped down from the island and started his way over to both Ace and Yuu. 

"Wait-" Yuu plopped down beside Ace. "-so let me get this straight: you're saying that there are TIMELINES OTHER THAN THIS ONE?" By the seven, Yuu didn't have to be  _ that _ loud, he was sitting right beside them. 

"Tone it down, geez, and yeah, dumbass, there  _ are _ timelines other than this one. This might be the…" Ace trailed off, the pounding in his head seemed to multiply with every passing moment he spent trying to remember the exact numbers. "-what, hundredth? Fuck, man, I don't remember." 

Just by talking about the past timelines gets Ace reeling from the sheer pain his headache brings on. His fingers raised to pinch at the bridge of his nose, and his eyes shut close. 

But well, there it is. The bomb has been dropped, and all they needed to do was simply wait for it to land and cause chaos. He sighed. At least he had some fun with this timeline, he supposed. 

"Either way, we're all doomed in three… two… one." 

Silence follows. 

Nothing… happened.

Huh. 

That…. Was new. Ace stared blankly at the empty cup of tea. The deranged duet quieted inside his head, now replaced with white noise, the noises and questions rushing out of his mind. Grim had a bone to pick with Ace immediately, leaping up to Ace’s lap, punching him straight in the stomach. For a creature that small, Grim packed quite the punch, 

“OW!!!” His hands clutched at his abdomen, eyes squinting at the furball, “WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!” 

“JERKASS!!! YOU SCARED US FOR NOTHING!!! I THOUGHT I REALLY WAS DONE FOR!!” Ace held his hand up, on his way to knock at Grim’s head as payback, when Yuu grabbed it and scooped Grim up with one hand. 

“Ok, that’s enough you crybaby, c’mere." Yuu's fingers carded through Grin's soft fur, the latter completely calming down and purring at the motion. Yuu, on the other hand, shot Ace a glance. 

The boy was holding his hands in front of his face, eyes wide, as if he has never seen them before and it was some kind of miracle that they grew out of his arms. One hand reached up to brush his hair back.

"This- this timeline is- we're fine?" 

"What- do you mean we're fine? Fine as in what, we're still living, breathing creatures or fine as in we didn't turn into some monstrous being created from the depths of your brain?" Not even a chuckle came out from either of them, what with Grim being preoccupied with Yuu's grooming and Ace staring at the only cup on the coffee table. 

"It means…."  _ My plan worked. I don't have to do this again. Everyone will survive.  _

_ It means hope.  _

It was as if someone had jammed the gears inside Ace's brain and threw it completely apart, slamming it to the walls of his head and lodging it there while also replacing said gears with new ones. He felt…  _ giddy, _ fingers thrumming and feet tapping to an unsung rhythm. That pump of adrenaline that had been drained just moments prior now returned, his brain pumping even more endorphins into his bloodstream. 

It was like he's a child opening a present on Christmas Day. 

With a swift turn, Ace's face shifted from a frown to a practically beaming smile. His hand grabbed to clasp at Yuu's own, and for a moment, Yuu thought there were actual stars inside Ace's eyes from how much they glimmered with excitement. 

Not even a moment later, a squeal erupted, and Ace brought himself to his feet, uttering pure nonsense as his smile turned to one more akin to a crazed look rather than a happy one. His hands grabbed at his hair and tugged at it, leaving Yuu and Grim to stare at Ace with one eyebrow cocked. 

"We-We're not completely fucked, at all!!!" The pitch of his laughter gradually heightened as he paced around the foyer. "Holy fucking shit I cannot believe this we'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING RIGHT! WE CAN STILL SALVAGE THIS SHITTY ASS TIMELINE PRAISE BE TO THE SEVEN!" 

Confusion swept one side of the room as Yuu exchanged glances with Grim, both wondering what had just happened, why had their friend just jumped up in such a delirious yet happy stupor.

"Oh, yay! I think…" was all Yuu could come up with. Their eyes averted back to Ace, who was now slumped over on the floor, on his knees and staring at both Yuu and Grim, muttering under his breath. 

"I thought it was going to reset on its own and- and- and- I'll have to do it all over again and-" Eyes darted around the dilapidated foyer, everything was still in place. He was in Ramshackle Dorm, not inside that suffocating coffin waiting for Riddle to come and open his door out. He was still looking at Yuu and Grim, still looking at their silly faces. Laughter bubbled up inside his throat. 

Yuu, deciding they’ve had had enough of Ace laughter for today, cut him off. “Wait, hold up, time out, you said the timeline can reset on its own?” Grim just groaned, stretching in Yuu’s lap. 

“Why is there even a time loop in the first place?!” a growl very much resembling a cat came out from Grim, and both Ace and Yuu had to bite their lips back from making a comment about it. “Fngaaaaa- such a hassle, I just wanna eat and sleep.” 

“What, did I not tell you guys about that?” Yuu shook their head. “Ugghhhh, fine. To spare you the details-” 

With a swift motion, Ace picked himself up from the ground, brushing off his pants before animatedly striking a pose. He gave the other two a small jazz hands before flashing them a nonchalant smile. 

“I’m the one that caused it.” 

A beat.

Then another. 

Yuu and Grim blink. Heads turn at each other, then towards Ace. Both look towards each other again.

Another beat follows. 

“YOU WHAT?” Grim shrieked as he hopped off of Yuu’s lap.

“Okay okay hold on a second, you better have got a good reason for this or else I am going to assume that this was all because you fucked something up so bad that not even the Seven could save you from it-”

“THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN YOU ASS-!” Ace crossed his arms, dragging a chair over for him to sit in. “And I  _ DO _ have a reason for it! And a good one for that!”

“We’ll be the judge for that.”

“You- fine. Well fine. Sit down, grab some snacks and tissues, because you’ll be listening to-” his hand draped over his forehead in dramatic fashion. “-the tragic,  _ tragic _ tale of the martyr known as Ace Trappola.” 

“Gross.” Yuu and Grim shot Ace a deadpan face. Ace shot one back at the two of them. 

“I didn’t sacrifice my whole damn life for you two to treat my epic hero backstory like shit.” 

Not even sparing a glance at Ace, Yuu just laid back on the sofa, kicked their legs up, and carded his fingers through Grim’s fur. “Sure you did, grandpa, sure you did. Now tell us the story will you, and who knows, I might even rate it for you.” 

“Ew, no thanks squip, I’ll just have your ear.” 

Their hands raised at Ace, eyes squinting threateningly at him.“Call me squip one more time, I swear-” 

He, instead of shutting himself up, walked over to where Yuu was, placed a finger atop their lips to shut them up. It seems as if all the horrors of their earlier had gone away with the wind, and now both seem to be just simply and absolutely chummy with each other. (in reality it was more of a way for both of them to disassociate from the earlier heightened tension, a slight moment of euphoria that comes after a fight. A momentary silence for both to catch their breaths.) Ace plopped down harshly on the poor sofa, leaning against it. 

“It all started when....” he trailed off. 

_ Despite having already opened his eyes, all that Ace could see was darkness. His chest rose and dipped a little too quickly as air struggled to get inside his lungs. The world seemed to somewhat tilt on its axis with every passing moment.  _

“Wh- actually, hold on-” 

_ Day sufficiently ruined, Ace trotted through the hallways, eyeing out for a certain asshole and his raccoon pet monster. This isn’t how the whole thing is supposed to go! Ace sighed, wondering where exactly he had gone wrong. He had been extremely meticulous with the past few timelines and this one, so what exactly went wrong?! _

“Wasn’t it… ceremony-” 

_ His ears filled with buzzing and the crackling of fire, yet he doesn’t feel the warmth of it. On the contrary, it feels… cold, distant. The winds howled with every passing movement, carrying the cries of a young boy who searches for… for what? Validation? Love?? No, that can't be right. Affection??? All of the above? Ace doesn’t know exactly but it’s agonizing. _

His head pounded. His eyes were no longer on Yuu and Grim, but now wandering. The quieting storm had picked up a harsh, warm wind and was once again awakening, bringing with it memories of previous… no. Is it this one..? No, that couldn’t be. Which timeline was it? Which one was he in right now? 

“I was- certain it was a ceremony? For something? I don’t know- and we’re suddenly in a field?” 

_ Afternoon bled into evening, and Ace found himself flopping on the blanket, his stomach full beyond comprehension. He couldn't remember the last time he was this content, his mind drifting off to sleep as his head laid on Deuce's lap.  _

_ He wishes that the moment would last forever. _

The images blurred together, the lines joined by invisible seams. And however hard he tried to pull them apart, he could never find enough strength to pick them apart and differentiate one from the other. It was as if someone had taken his soupy concoction of a brain and mixed it around so much that each of the components of his brain smudged and became indistinguishable. 

Each memory he had held dearly, each one that he had examined times and times again before going to bed, now gradually fading and blurring into the background of his mind. And for once, Ace felt… overwhelming  _ fear.  _ (it was the one thing he learned from his brother: “A person dies twice, once when he leaves his mortal vessel, and another when he is forgotten. I think the latter’s the most painful.” and he was right, it was terrifying when you can no longer remember what their voices were like, what their smiles were like. Their memory slowly whittles away as you move on with your life, and when you try to remember them, what’s left is just one utter of their name, nothing of their legacy left.) 

He needed to grasp onto those edges, onto those images, those smiling, happy faces, those that he needed to protect- 

_ Glittering blue eyes turned to him. A distant smile, a strained voice, calling out to him. _

_ "We would've been good friends." _

Green flames engulfed  _ him.  _

He remembers yelling out in anguish. 

“ _ GET OUT OF THERE YOU IDIO-”  _ The pain persisted. The storm raged even further. Ace couldn’t save them. Couldn’t save him. 

“I- I can’t- remember??? H- Has it really been that long?” Panic rose in his throat, threatening to spill out from his mouth in a horrific, vile display of his innards. 

He couldn’t reach it, that memory that somehow had been stowed away throughout all the timelines - has it been  _ that  _ long ago? No matter how hard he tries to remember, his brain could no longer remember what the original timeline was like. 

Their laughter melded with their screams. Their smiles melted into pained frowns, bodies molding something he could never recognize. The voices echoed inside his brain, bouncing off the walls, growing louder with each repel until it rang inside his brain like christmas bells, which served nothing more than to further pronounce the pain still blooming in his temple. 

Yuu gently placed their hand on Ace’s shoulder and squeezed, pushing him down to sit beside Yuu. (when had he even stood up?) “Hey, hey, c’mon sit down, catch your breath. Breathe. In, out.” 

A couple of breaths later, Yuu continued. “Now sit down and try to remember something.” a guttural laugh came out as Ace covered his eyes with his arm. 

“I remember who died, if that's what you're intrested in."

“FGNA?!!!” Yuu shot a look at Ace, as if asking him to continue on with his train of thought. 

“Ah well, let’s see,” he raised an arm up, and started counting. “Well Jack nearly died in front of Leona senpai and Ruggie senpai….. Well at least I think.”

Yuu stared at him, “You THINK??? HOW DOES ONE EVEN THINK THAT SOMEONE DIED?!"

Ace hung his head, a bitter smile appearing on his features, and Yuu promptly shut up. 

“You know, Kalim and Jamil senpai were together through it all.” He chuckled, no humor whatsoever in his voice. “Probably died together.” 

“Well they do seem pretty close as friends.” 

A cough. Yuu looked over to Ace, and realization struck on them.

“Oh, I see.” 

Ace stretched his limbs out. “Ortho, was it? He died too. Idia senpai was not happy in the slightest about that.” 

Yuu and Grim looked at Ace, confused. “Who?” 

“Oh, right.” He leant back on the sofa. “Not important. He’s an android and well you know,” a smug smirk replaced his forlorn smile. “Thanks to me, that’s not a problem anymore.” 

“Okay okay enough death talk, and here’s a quick question: how can the time loops reset itself, and how do you even make them in the first place?” Grim, who was now perched between Yuu and Ace, nodded. 

“Yeah! Are you like some sort of overpowered mage or something?” 

Ace sighed. Well might as well tell them all. “Remember a little something called unique magic? Well I have one, and it’s time manipulation. And no, do not ask, I still do not have a name for it. What, why are you looking at me like that, it’s not  _ that _ bad. Anyways, as it suggests, I can rewind a few minutes or reset a whole year apparently.” 

“I call bullshit.” Grim immediately said. “This whole timeline talk has to be some sort of prank! What, is Deuce in it too?? If you do have it, prove it to me!!!!” he pointed a finger accusingly at Ace. 

Ace simply shot Grim the most smug grin he could muster at the moment, and crossed his legs, face held in his hand. “Remember when your toast disappeared without a trace?” 

“THAT WAS YOU????!!!!” and with that, Grim went into a whole rant about how unethical Ace was being, and how it was such a big crime for Ace to commit. The man in question only stuck his tongue out in response. 

Yuu shook their head as their gaze landed back onto Ace. “You still haven’t answered another one of my questions, by the way.” 

Ace simply laughed. “Wow, I’m so famous right now, I even have my own Q&A section! Hey mom, look! I made it!” He kept the smile, but no glee or joy were behind his eyes. “To be honest, I myself don’t even know how it can reset by itself. Sometimes if I mess something up so badly to the point of no return, it just resets. And sometimes… I’m just so close to ending this time loop, only for it to just… poof.” 

“Sounds like a curse to me.” Ace let out a sigh. 

“Probably? I- gh-- I didn’t even think about it being a curse, just that my magic saving me from another traumatic experience.” Yuu crossed their arms in thought. 

“You should check about curses sooner or later. I abso-fucking-lutely do  _ not _ want to be roped into that freaky shit just because someone was targeting  _ your  _ guts.” Ace just nodded, he practically didn’t have any energy left after the two outbursts he had just earlier. The pounding in his head hadn’t fully dissipated, sure, but it sure has turned down into more of a dull pain compared to just minutes before. 

“Wait, what about Deuce? Did he also die? You didn’t mention him.” Grim piped up as he munched on a pastry lying on the kitchen island.

“Deuce…” Ace trailed off, his hands going to rub at the back of his neck. 

_ "We would've been good friends." _

Funny how it has always been him, and him alone that really stuck with him. Throughout the multiple timelines he’s been through, he could always remember Deuce being there, beside him. That line rang so clearly inside his brain, lodged itself inside his memories despite them not even knowing each other that well. Sure, he was close to the other guys as well, but it was different with him. No matter how far apart they were, they’d always find a way to somehow get together, but it wasn’t the same with the others. 

But why was it? 

He remembers it all clearly, despite everything. His shimmering eyes gleaming underneath the shining sun, how his eyes would literally shine whenever he sees Ace, or the way Deuce literally beams as he smiles at anything he likes. He remembers carding his fingers through those soft strands of hair, messing it up early in the morning and how he would react when Ace places a kiss to his forehead. He remembers that haunted look in his eyes when he realizes it was the end for them- 

_ No.  _

Ace pushes that image to the back of his head. He never-  _ never _ wants to see him get hurt again. He was going to protect that boy no matter what the consequences were going to be. He will fight tooth and nail if it meant to see that smile once again. 

“Y-yeah… he was fine.” A small ‘luckily’ was whispered near the end. Yuu’s features softened as they rubbed circles onto Ace’s back, providing at least a small bit of comfort for the other boy. 

“Fine, I’ll help you break this time loop.”

“Ahem!!!” The two looked over at Grim. “ _ WE  _ will help you! With my ultimate superior magic, we’ll get the best ever result you’ll ever see in one attempt!!” Yuu chuckled. 

“Yes, yes, Grim. We’ll help you.” 

“It wasn’t even a choice to begin with, afterall.” Ace smiled.

And for the first time in a while, he was able to breathe.

_ Things were finally looking up for him.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays to everyone, merry christmas and happy hannukah to everyone celebrating!! we're back! hi hello, and probably going to stick to our previous schedules! so please look forward to the upcoming chapters.
> 
> as always, comments and kudos are appreciated! we love reading your comments so much, and thank you for waiting and supporting this work along the way!! -Emil
> 
> \----
> 
> 01/04/21 update: apparently we didnt notice that ao3 listed the chapter update to be at 13th nov last year, but in reality we've posted this since,,,,, idk 28th december last year, and so i bumped it up to today's date instead, sorry for the mishap ^^

**Author's Note:**

> Script: Maia (Me!!)  
> Detailings / revisions: Emil (uwu) 
> 
> Regarding update schedules, me and Emil will update the fic before Friday


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